On Friday afternoon, an EF-3 tornado struck parts of St. Louis City and County, leaving at least five dead, dozens injured, an estimated 5,000 buildings damaged, and roughly 90,000 people without power. The damage stretched northeast from Clayton to Forest Park to the Delmar Maker District to the Central West End, the city’s North Side, and across the Mississippi river into Illinois. Restaurants in the tornado’s wide path experienced power outages, blown-out windows, and utility and structural damage. SLM spoke with several of the impacted restaurant owners.
Many of the restaurants in the burgeoning Delmar Maker District were significantly impacted. “We’re heartbroken for our little neighborhood,” said Danni Eickenhorst of HuSTL Hospitality Group. “So much has been invested in the Delmar Maker District over the past five years, and to see it all undone in just 10 minutes is surreal.”
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Steve’s Hot Dogs Delmar and The Fountain on Delmar will be “closed for the foreseeable future,” according to Eickenhorst. While both businesses have strong structural integrity, Eickenhorst noted, “Many of our major systems were torn from the building, so we expect to remain closed for some time while we wait for those systems to be restored.”
Nonetheless, the day after the incident, staff members used what refrigerated inventory remained to prepare 500 free meals while beginning cleanup efforts amid the debris. Eickenhorst praised the outpouring of community support: “People showed up within moments to help us clean up. We will be back—and when we return, we hope the community shows up for the Delmar Maker District bigger than ever.” (A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support staff and assist with recovery efforts.)
Hear more from Eickenhorst about HuSTL Hospitality’s tornado relief efforts on the Arch Eats podcast.
After opening nearby Beyond Sweet Kitchen + Bar in the Delmar Maker District in December 2023, owner Dallas Holland-Mims told KMOV TV that the restaurant sustained structural damage from the tornado and is a total loss. “I give myself 30 days, and we’ll have a new home,” Holland-Mims said. “I don’t know if it will be in this neighborhood, but I need to reopen Beyond Sweet.” (A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support staff and assist with recovery efforts.)
All of acclaimed chef/restaurateur Ben Poremba’s restaurants in the area—Esca, Nixta, Florentin, and the forthcoming homes of Olio and Elaia—suffered damage. In a social media statement, Poremba noted that the restaurants “will be closed this weekend and for the foreseeable future.” He added, “We are no strangers to big projects, and we will rebuild and come back stronger than ever.”
Poremba reported that Esca appears structurally sound, though “the A/C units simply disappeared.” Next to Florentin, the roof of the neighboring Craft Alliance collapsed. Since it shares the same building, he anticipates potential complications. At Nixta, there are holes in the roof, but the building remains repairable. His greatest concern is the future site of Elaia and Olio, which lost part of its roof. “That’s the one I’m worried about and where our future growth was,” he says.
In support of his staff, many of whom also experienced significant damage to their vehicles (“most have totaled cars,” he said), Poremba launched a GoFundMe campaign to help them during the closure. (Poremba’s other ventures—AO& Co, Bar Moro, and Deli Divine—remain open for business.)
Despite the setbacks, Poremba remains optimistic. “Perspective is everything,” he told SLM. “We’re safe and unharmed. Broken windows, damaged furniture and equipment, spoiled food—those can all be repaired or replaced. Many others have lost their homes and livelihoods. I’m truly grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support, kindness, and generosity from our community.”
Elsewhere, in the DeBaliviere Place neighborhood, Park Place Market co-owner Miles Kirk reports that the business took “a direct hit, breaking out windows and damaging the roof. The place is a disaster. We lost all the food, of course, and have no idea how long repairs will take. It could be a week or two, maybe longer, depending on if the building is even habitable. Fortunately, we are all OK.” Kirk has organized a GoFundMe to help with operational expenses. Also in DeBaliviere Place, Mack’s Bar and Grill suffered damage and is closed for the foreseeable future. The ever-optimistic owner Mack Hill says, “We are good,” despite several broken windows, two collapsed awnings, thousands of dollars in lost food, and no clear timeline for power restoration.
In the Central West End, at the corner of Euclid and Maryland, several of Kingside Diner‘s large windows were blown out. Still, owner Aaron Teitelbaum remains hopeful. “We’re fortunate to still have two other restaurants operating, which is helping us manage,” he said. “After seeing the devastation in nearby areas—people losing their homes—it’s hard to feel sorry for ourselves. We will reopen and we will be fine.”
Teitelbaum expressed the most concern for his employees. “We can’t keep everyone working right now, and that’s the hardest part for me personally,” says Teitelbaum. “We’re trying to rotate staff through our other locations if they’re willing, but it’s a challenge.” Teitelbaum’s other establishments—Herbie’s in Clayton and the other two Kingside Diner locations, in Clayton and at St. Louis Lambert International Airport—remain open.
Update: Kingside Diner CWE and Delmar Loop locations reopen May 21.
SLM has assembled a list of organizations, resources, donation drives, and events where you can support those affected by the tornado.
