Move over, cookies, cupcakes, and ice cream—there’s a new sweets concept in town: JARS by Fabio Viviani.
Serving up an array of desserts in clear, single-serve jars, JARS will open its first metro area store today at 8853 Ladue Road, a space that previously housed Maggie Moo’s in Ladue. Chef and concept creator Fabio Viviani will be in St. Louis for the Friday opening.
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Franchisees Monica and Kit Crooks plan to open five St. Louis area locations over the next five years, with an option to double that number. Opening day hours in Ladue are from 11–8 p.m. After that, hours will be from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
Fabio Viviani—a celebrity chef, multi-unit restaurateur, best-selling cookbook author, and TV host—reimagined the dessert experience by presenting established favorites in a more whimsical and visual way. He founded JARS by Fabio Viviani in 2021 and opened the first corporate location in Chicago’s West Loop in February 2023. The new St. Louis storefront will be JARS’ fifth location and the only one in Missouri. Viviani expects that the nine existing franchisee groups will open 150 JARS stores over the next three years.
The JARS concept originally arose during the pandemic, when most of Viviani’s restaurants were largely shut down. “A need arose to create a different concept,” he says, “one that involved little to no labor, little to no contact, or space, expertise, or investment. A concept where training takes days, not weeks.
“JARS provides a fairly safe option for someone who likes food but doesn’t know the food business,” he adds. “It’s for the person who likes the idea of franchising but doesn’t want to drop millions of dollars to open one. It offers a ground-floor opportunity in an industry that’s usually very expensive to get into and one that’s easy to make a mistake in.”
Monica Crooks largely agrees. “It was the first franchise that piqued my interest,” she says. “You don’t have to get up at 4 a.m. You don’t need an expensive chef. It’s a simple product. It’s beautiful, fun, and delicious.”
The Menu
JARS is a quick-service dessert idea featuring a variety of concoctions layered into clear plastic, Instagram-worthy, single-serve jars—somewhat akin to a mini-trifle. At any given time, JARS’ menu includes eight classic and six rotating limited-edition flavors that change every month. And with 150 available flavors, returning guests are virtually guaranteed to have new options available.
JARS’ desserts, which are made-to-order in 6-ounce portions, have a base made of custard (which is more like a pastry cream) or soft-serve ice cream. Popular classic custard flavors include Strawberry Shortcake, Banana Cream Pie, Tiramusu, and Tres Leches Cake. This month’s limited-edition selections include Triple Chocolate Nutella, Banana Split, and Lemon Marshmallow Meringue Pie. Popular soft-serve ice cream JARS include Salted Caramel Pecan and French Vanilla Cake. The soft-serve option can also be made into “cake shakes.” Other drinks include what JARS calls “refreshers,” including blue raspberry lemonade, mango passionfruit, and raspberry kiwi.
Although the brand’s menu is largely preset, there is room for adjustments, Viviani says. “We would like to introduce a gooey butter flavor here, for example, but it needs to be properly developed and engineered first,” he says. “That’s where we are now. Then, if it sells really well, we may introduce it to other markets. If it’s an absolute sensation, we take it national.”
Another revenue source for the business has been its off-site potential, with pre-made JARS available for special events. “Corporate events, themed celebrations, kids’ parties, larger adult gatherings… We’ve found an audience with all of them,” Viviani says. “We’re especially popular at rehearsal dinners and post-wedding day brunches.”
Full size JARS are an option, but a mini-size—what Viviani calls a “three-bites-and-you’re-done” experience—was created for such occasions.
The Atmosphere
The 1,200-square-foot space is spare and lean, equipped only with a counter for ordering and a kiosk counter for self-ordering. Two large video boards show JARS in various stages of production; four other boards display the menu, showing pictures of every item. There are no interior seats, but several outside benches can accommodate a dozen or so guests.
During the opening in Ladue this weekend, JARS will conduct a raffle, with such prizes as health/wellness packages, as well as four Cardinals tickets in the all-inclusive Champions Club and passes to watch pregame batting practice from the field. Special guests include Louie from the Blues (on Saturday from noon–3 p.m.) and local MMA fighter Jessie Finney. The first 1,500 people attending the grand opening will also receive a free JAR.
