Steve St. Pierre’s new ranch-themed business in The Gate District, Have A Cow Cattle Company (2742 Lafayette), is more than a café and urban supply store. It’s also a hub for change.
Named for St. Pierre’s cattle farm of the same name, near Cuba, Missouri, the business aims to provide jobs to underemployed St. Louisans in the West End neighborhood and to expose both employees and customers to new experiences that can change perspectives and lives.
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“[Our country has] always been divided, but it’s coming to the surface, and now we have to face it,” says St. Pierre. “I always think the best way to deal with [conflict] is to lay yourself aside and ask how you can serve others. People are feeling that inside this space.”
The space’s modern exterior gives way to a cozy vibe, with dyed concrete floors, rustic tables and chairs, and a wood-burning fireplace. Step inside, and you’re greeted by a retail section, including wild bird supplies, candles, soaps, books, and apparel. It will also soon be stocked with apiary supplies, urban chicken farming needs, and dog and cat food.
Farther inside the space, the café offers an all-day menu of breakfast and lunch items, served from 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The breakfast menu includes a traditional country lineup of egg plates, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, thick quiches and more. Customers can pair the bounty with a cup of small-batch, hand-roasted coffee, dubbed Barbed Wire Brew.
The most popular early-morning items are the house-made cinnamon rolls, available in two varieties: a classic cream cheese–frosted option or a salted caramel roll with candied pecans.
There are also plenty of house-baked goods. Petite loaves, scones (notably, the maple walnut), cookies, and espresso brownies with cream cheese frosting are just a few of the items that are baked daily.
The lunch menu offers an array of sandwiches and salads, with the burgers stealing the show. St. Pierre’s cattle farm supplies all of the café’s beef. (You can also purchase frozen cuts on-site.) Two of the three burger options weigh in at a whopping half pound; the other option, the Whole Farm Burger, is topped with bacon, cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg on a brioche bun. The salads are sizable, too. St. Pierre describes The Ranch Hand Salad as “hefty.” Sautéed veggies top a bed of mixed greens, and you can add an egg and choice of protein. “I’m a big eater, and I can barely finish this salad,” says St. Pierre.
He plans to expand the café’s hours and offerings next month to include dinner service and, eventually, to open on Mondays as well.
Already, St. Pierre notes, customers have recognized that the new business is filling a need. “They’re telling me that,” he says.
