Hangar Kitchen + Bar (9528 Manchester) served its final customers Saturday night, owners Chris and Courtney Sedlak confirmed. The couple, who operate The Mud House (2101 Cherokee) in Benton Park, also recently shuttered Momo (9500 Manchester), their “coffee-champagne-kitchen” located next door to Hangar in Rock Hill.
Chris stressed that the two closures are unrelated. “Closing Momo had nothing to do with the lease, and Hangar had everything to do with it,” he told SLM. Hangar’s five-year lease—partly inherited from former tenant The Slider House—was up for renewal, but the parties couldn’t agree on new terms, he said.
Regarding the sudden closure, Chris said it all happened in short order. “I really thought we’d still be there,” Chris said. “The landlord found someone quickly who wanted to be open before the holiday rush.”
According to the Sedlaks, the owner of Huatulco Mexican Kitchen has signed a lease for the 5,500-square-foot, 150-seat space. The Rock Hill outpost will be the brand’s third restaurant, joining locations in Perryville and Bethalto. SLM has reached out to owner Domingo Quintas for details.
Some displaced Hangar staff members were offered jobs across the street at Farotto’s, thanks to openings from owners Lindsay and Jeff Parrott.
Chris says all of Hangar’s furniture and fixtures will be auctioned, including the aeronautical artifacts and six-tube shaped booths that he and his wife fashioned out of slats of stained wood. The auction, conducted by BCL Auction, will take place on September 30. Monitor the company’s website or Hangar’s social media for what items will be included.
The Backstory
The Sedlaks opened Hangar in August 2020 in the former Slider House space, at the corner of Rock Hill and Manchester. The theme and the name tied into their travels—and their preferred vodka brand.
Standout design elements included leather seats meant to simulate the captain’s chairs found in an old-school airplane cockpit, a brushed and riveted aluminum bar top curved like an airplane wing, and a sprawling patio that flowed into adjacent green space.
The eclectic menu reflected the couple’s memories from around the world: sushi, tacos, salads, pastas, and shareable plates, ranging from Taste of Rome Meatballs to New Orleans Cajun Pasta.
“These are things we remember, things we crave,” Chris said when the restaurant opened. The goal was simply to create “a comfortable place with an eclectic, approachable menu and design details that people will talk about. It’s no more complicated than that.”
Looking ahead, Chris has another restaurant-related project in development. Courtney plans to continue operating Forever Vintage Market, a multi-day event that brings together collectors, decorators, designers, boutique owners, families, and casual shoppers to discover unique vintage finds. The next event is slated for December at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in East Belleville.
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