A serendipitous turn on a Sunday morning led straight into The Corner Gates at 1821 Cherokee Street for this lucky writer. Owner Ashley Nanney stood behind a gleaming bar with several friends as they mixed Mimosas, concocted Bloody Marys and engaged in conversations with an energized group of people leaving the inaugural St. Louis Swap Meet. Most were glad to find a comfy seat in a beautiful place with a welcome drink and a bite to eat just outside the Lemp Brewery complex.
‘When will this restaurant open?’ seemed to be the question of the day. The answer: the space won’t be a restaurant, but a unique event location for parties, corporate events, training sessions, fundraisers, classes and more. “We can host up to 230 guests for a cocktail event and 125 for a sit-down dinner,” Nanney says.
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The city’s newest event space won’t open until early June, but Nanney used the Sunday opportunity to introduce The Corner Gates to the 4500 people who thronged the swap meet just across the street. “We plan to open each Sunday through November during the swap meet for drinks and small plates,” Nanney says. “New people walked into our neighborhood and we want them to know we’re here.”
The Corner Gates isn’t Nanney’s first trip to the dance. She founded Feed Your Vitality, a unique home delivery service of delicious meals prepared with no grains, no legumes, no refined sugars and no dairy. The four-year-old company that began in a food incubator at St. Patrick’s Center grew so rapidly Nanney expanded into the space formerly occupied by Table. The move afforded her the opportunity to grow her business.
Nanney tackled the kitchen renovation first beginning in March of 2014. The built-to-order space includes a commissary for Feed Your Vitality as well as a separate room with dedicated equipment for mixing her unique baked goods. Work on the event space followed. The alterations in the interior, a new paint scheme, a redesigned back bar, and the renovation of the patio, were mostly cosmetic. With her thoughtful design choices, she created a warmth and intimacy in the airy space.
Nanney isn’t a trained chef, nor is she an event planner, and she has no background in business, but her life experiences, uncommon good sense and faith led her to the work she does today. “I was a social worker,” she says. “What interested me was employment diversity, so I worked with companies to see where we could create opportunities for people who were challenged by circumstances. I had an insider’s view of business.”
Health challenges led her to rethink the foods she ate. Her personal journey includes a weight loss of 97 pounds and a return to wellness. In 1998, she became so ill she entered hospice. She had a young daughter, a career she loved and she nearly lost everything. “You see things differently when you’re dying,” she says. “I felt called to health.”
Good nutrition figured prominently in her journey. Before her illness, she hadn’t cooked. “I didn’t even want to learn,” she says, “but I was a dedicated foodie. I needed to make things that tasted good. People asked me to teach them and I began ‘cheffing’ in private kitchens. I felt called to share. People often say ‘Put your money where your mouth is.’ I asked, ‘What if I trust God on that level?’ and I started at the food incubator at St. Patrick’s Center, hiring the diverse staff I’d envisioned as a social worker.”
Look for an early June opening at The Corner Gates. Feed Your Vitality will be the caterer for the space with a range of menu choices. “We are developing menus for traditional foods and for guests with dietary restrictions,” Nanney says. “We’ll be mixing healthier alcohol drinks, too, without the heavily sugared syrups. At our events, we like the unusual elements, the surprise.”
The Corner Gates and Feed Your Vitality
1821 Cherokee
314-910-3324
Hours: no walk-ins, scheduled events only
Website for Feed Your Vitality
