Last week, Café St. Louis, an offshoot of Java Plus Café & Catering Co., signed a management contract to run the former Bixby’s restaurant on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum.
Bixby’s, a popular lunch and weekend brunch destination with sweeping views of Forest Park, had been operated by Butler’s Pantry until December 31, when the contract expired.
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Java Plus, in business for 15 years, currently operates three breakfast-and-lunch restaurants: in Clayton, at 8000 Maryland; and downtown, at 211 N. Broadway (on the ground floor of the Metropolitan Square Building) and at 500 N. Broadway.
Java Plus offers predominantly scratch-made soups, salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Owner and industry veteran Ken Grober (who co-owned The Original Pancake House in St. Louis) says the menu at Café St. Louis will also include nods to the city: toasted ravioli (natch), Gus’ Pretzels baked fresh on site, cups of Ted Drewes frozen custard, and “Taste of the Hill”-type sandwiches and salads. Homemade gooey butter cake will be part of the local-leaning menu, as will Fitz’s and Excel sodas and Dubuque Coffee. Themed menu specials will coincide with featured exhibits at the museum.
Like Bixby’s, Café St. Louis will include a grab-and-go component. Unlike its predecessor, however, the new restaurant’s service will be fast casual (except for a plated Sunday brunch, which is slated to begin this fall).
Café hours will be from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. daily, with grab-and-go available until 4 p.m. (The museum closes at 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it stays open until 8 p.m.)
The decor will remain St. Louis-focused, including black-and-white photographs and display cases with local artifacts.
On- and off-premise catering for events large and small has been an integral part of the Java Plus model and it will also be an important component at Café St. Louis. (There are five other approved caterers at the Missouri History Museum, which provide different tiers of food and service: 23 City Blocks, Sugarfire Events, Patty Long Catering, Russo’s Catering, and Championship Catering.)
While business events and meetings have been its main focus (its client list includes the St. Louis Blues and BJC), Grober likes his positioning and looks forward to casting a wider net. “The list of approved caterers at the museum runs the gamut,” he says. “We welcome both high- and lower-end events. I like the niche we’re in.”
Another niche: Café St. Louis will be the only Forest Park restaurant where the Delmar Loop Trolley will drop off potential customers at its front door.
The café is slated to open July 2, which will coincide with the latest proposed opening of the trolley. “We’ll be ready,” says Grober, “no matter when it starts rolling.”
