Two major players in the downtown food and entertainment scene are joining forces for a new collaboration. Buddy’s Local Grill & Bar (1001 Washington) is teaming up with The Boom Boom Room as the new resident entertainment inside its events space. The burlesque-inspired Boom Boom Room will be leaving its current home at 1229 Washington Avenue, which it has been operating out of since 2015, when its lease is up at the end of the month. Its first show at Buddy’s will be on August 21.
“I am so excited because their show is so cool, elaborate, and like a big boozy fun party,” says Corey James, owner of Buddy’s and its sister concept, Bella’s Coffee Cafe (1021 Washington). “It’s been one of those places where you go to have a great time and get some food and drinks while you’re there. Whereas, we’ve been a place where you go to get great food and drink and have a little entertainment. What we’re doing is taking the best of what we each do and bringing them together. It’s like the best of both worlds.”
While the partnership between the two concepts may be new, the relationship between James and the Boom Boom Room’s owner, Brandy Dunn-Callahan, goes back several years—not long after the burlesque venue first opened and before James was even in the restaurant business.
“I’d get off work after a busy Saturday of cutting hair and would hang out, dance, and have a great time,” James recalls. “We would have so much fun together, and they are all wonderful people, so it turned into a great friendship. We’ve always kept in touch and have frequently talked about doing something together. This year, we finally got serious about it.”
According to James, their wistful musings about working together became more concrete after prior plans for Buddy’s event space fell through because of tragedy. Previously, James had partnered with the late chef and artist Tai Davis for what was to be an incubator-style extended pop-up for Davis’ concept, Lineage. When Davis suddenly passed away this January (video tribute here), James found himself grieving the loss of a dear friend.
For the space, he went back to square one. “It was so tragic,” James says. “We couldn’t even think of what we wanted to do.”
It took a while to process the tragedy, but through it all, James’ friendship with Dunn-Callahan was a steady support. Over time, they started to envision what a collaboration might look like and decided it would be the perfect fit.
As James explains, The Boom Boom Room will take up an indefinite residency inside Buddy’s event space, performing one show on Friday nights and two shows on Saturday nights. They expect to seat about 80–100 guests and to create a cohesive food and beverage menu for The Boom Boom Room residency that aligns with the show’s theme. Their first performance, a Western-inflected show, will feature a menu of cowboy-inflected dishes, such as Pick Yer Posse Skewers (with chicken, shrimp, steak, or portobello mushrooms), a Southwest grilled chicken salad, and a Southwest-style Whiskey Row Alfredo pasta. Cocktails, which have yet to be announced, will also be in keeping with the theme.
“We all work so well together,” James says. “Brandy and [her partner] Jim have a vision. We have ours. And they all come together perfectly. We’re so excited to have them, and they are excited to have the additional exposure that comes with being located so closely to the hotels across the street from Buddy’s.”
James sees this collaboration with The Boom Boom Room as much more than a business arrangement for the two brands. He feels that it’s one more step toward making downtown a vibrant place to live, work, and play—something that he and Dunn-Callahan have been working tirelessly toward for years and that they feel confident is finally happening, thanks to the work of developer Alex Oliver, who is also a partner in their projects.
“I love getting excited about these things, and I love being a champion for downtown. We want everyone to know that this is a neighborhood. It’s one of the most walkable areas in the city, with great entertainment, restaurants, and places to explore. We’re hoping that through these projects, we continue bringing the very best of St. Louis to Washington Avenue and downtown.”
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
