Kansas City-based developer Abbott Hospitality plans to open Bel Air Social (4630 Lindell), a new concept with a full-service coffee bar, curated cocktail program, and three independent dining vendors, in the Central West End’s iconic Bel Air Motel building this summer.
Bel Air Social’s food vendors will include St. Louis favorite Pizza Via and Outpost Coffee [& Bricks], a coffee and LEGO lab. Guests will also be able to enjoy a courtyard seating area and activities lawn, with live music and lawn games. Here’s what to expect.
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The Atmosphere
Bel Air Social’s warm tones—olive green, brick red, and various shades of gray—and playful textures have a throwback feel that complements the neighborhood’s historic character and the building’s storied past.
The luxurious, resort-style Bel Air Motel opened in 1958, introducing a new form of lodging to the city. There were already motels, motor courts, and lodges in St. Louis County, especially along Route 66, but the Bel Air was the first of what would eventually span 16 motels in the city limits. Its architecture was unique for the CWE, with a T-shaped, two-story courtyard around a swimming pool, a three-story section above a covered parking garage, and a glass enclosure on the front facing the street.
The Bel Air Motel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It has also operated as the Hotel Indigo, Comfort Inn, and Holiday Inn Express, which will transform into a Hotel Indigo on the day the food operations commence.
“There’s so much creativity and momentum here,” Abbott Hospitality founder Matt Abbott says. “We’re excited to add something new that complements the neighborhood’s energy and character.”
The Menu
Pizza Via 2.0 owner Scott Sandler describes the forthcoming location as “my fourth iteration in 11 years.” He currently operates the acclaimed wood-fired pizza joint Pizza Via (4501 Maryland) in the Central West End, and he founded and subsequently sold both Pizza Head in South Grand and Pizzeoli in Soulard. Sandler plans to offer new styles on the menu at Pizza Via 2.0, with more details to be announced closer to its opening.
The beverage menu at Outpost Coffee [& Bricks] will center on beans from St. Louis area roaster Goshen Coffee. It will also offer pastries, with details to be released soon. With the tagline “Build Something Here,” Outpost’s website says it encourages opportunities for meaningful interactions while unplugging from the digital world and engaging in hands-on activities. In a series of pop-ups ahead of its anticipated mid-June opening at Bel Air Social, the café let guests choose from 25 sets of LEGO® bricks including Plum Blossom, Disney Up House, and famous city skylines. Rental set pricing on the LEGO® menu ranges from $10–$15, depending on the estimated length of time for the build. Marvel characters and a tropical ukulele are on the quicker side, at under an hour; the Star Wars X-wing and Hagrid’s hut from Harry Potter will take closer to two hours.
Abbott Hospitality is currently seeking food vendors for the one remaining stall at Bel Air Social. (Interested food concepts can apply online or contact Peyton Hassenflu at [email protected].)
The additional vendor and grand opening details will be announced in the coming weeks on Bel Air Social’s Instagram.
The Team
Bel Air Social is Abbott Hospitality’s first St. Louis concept. Abbott says the location was chosen in part because of the neighborhood’s track record of community entertainment and events.
“The Central West End has a long history of bringing people together—from the Mississippian communities of the ninth century to the 1904 World’s Fair, and all the vibrant culture that exists here today,” Abbott says in a press release. “We were drawn to that legacy. Bel Air Social is our contribution to the next chapter of the neighborhood’s story.”
Abbott Hospitality is known for reimagining historic properties. The company has an established footprint in Missouri, with several properties in Kansas City’s Crossroads district, as well as venues in Naperville, Illinois; Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; and West Des Moines, Iowa, with more openings planned.
Like the company’s other projects, Bel Air Social is designed to deliver a design-forward, community-driven atmosphere. “We’ve created a space that flows naturally and encourages people to linger,” Abbott says. “The layout, the offerings, and the energy all work together to create something that feels connected.”
Bel Air Social
📍4630 Lindell, CWE
📞 340-383-3403
⏰ Open daily for morning coffee, lunch, dinner, and nighttime drinks.
Coffee: Mon-Sat: 6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun: 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.;
Kitchen: Sun-Thu: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.;
Bar: Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – midnight, Sun: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.;
Vendors: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
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