Courtesy The Parkmoor
For St. Louisans of a certain age, The Parkmoor holds a lunch counter full of memories. But regardless of one’s level of familiarity, longtime restaurateur Frank Romano is in the process of recreating some of the nostalgia—as well as the food (which the menu claimed had “better than home-made taste”).
A refreshed version of the celebrated restaurant will debut in the former Half & Half space (220 W. Lockwood) in Webster Groves by the 4th of July.
From the collection of the Missouri Historical Society
While many will remember the sharp-dressed carhops or the various iterations of the buildings—from the original Tudor-style to the love-it-or-loathe-it Googie version at the corner of Clayton and Big Bend—there is an almost universal appreciation of (and pining for) several of the signature menu items.
Romano might be one of the best, least-known restaurateurs in St. Louis. In 1993, he worked at the original Kemoll’s, moved on to Truffles, and then to Jazz at the Bistro, where he became a minority partner and worked for 12 years. He was the general manager at the underappreciated An American Place, and then it was on to Miso on Meramec, Araka, and Robust. Romano recently assisted Steve Smith with foodservice operations in Midtown at BaiKu, Triumph, and, up until a few months ago, City Foundry STL.
But until The Parkmoor, the 43-year-old Romano has never owned his own place. “A lot of my career was in a 'primary secondary' role,” he says, "like a puppeteer." Reigniting The Parkmoor was something that had been in his mind for years, though, and when he heard that the Half & Half space in Webster might be available, he sprung into action. (In response to the viral outbreak, both locations of Half & Half closed on March 30; the Clayton location has since reopened.)
Romano acquired several of Parkmoor’s original recipes, but knowing present iterations may never measure up to fond memories (whether the items are reproduced exactly or not), his plan was always to use past menus and recipes “for inspiration, at the very least.”
Photo by Holly Kunze
The Parkmoor's co-owner, Frank Romano
As to the signature dishes, a best seller, the Premium Frank, as it was and will be called, was topped with melted cheese, mustard, relish, and a slice of bacon. Fried chicken will reappear (Romano's version is sweet tea–brined), as will the Chickburger (pulled chicken with BBQ spices and apple cider vin), chili, biscuits, Blue Plate specials, and pie, "lots of pie." The other old school dessert that will reappear is the Hot Fudge Cake (two slices of pound cake with ice cream, smothered in hot fudge).
The ground beef for “steak hamburgers,” as they were called, will also be mixed in house, as it was in the past. Romano is busy securing a custom beef blend that includes trim from high-end cuts like loin and ribeye. In a modern nod, he may leave the buns hinged to make the burgers more manageable.
Beginning in 1956, The Parkmoor introduced its Kingburger, a two-patty-and-special-sauce precursor to the Big Mac that was considered a huge meal at the time. It became The Parkmoor’s biggest seller and Romano says he “will try to pay proper homage to the King.”
In many minds, though, the most irresistible item was the onion rings, “perhaps some of the most remarkable ever to grace a St. Louis eatery,” according to SLM dining critic Ann Lemons Pollack, “huge and lightly cloaked in a preternaturally fluffy batter, they floated off the plate and into the mouths of those wise enough to devour them while they were shimmering-hot.”
Romano reports that he and his friend, chef Eliott Harris (Miso on Meramec, Central Table Food Hall, BaiKu, Chop Shop STL), are still tinkering with the tempura-style batter. (The lead chef for The Parkmoor has yet to be named.)
Yet even those familiar with The Parkmoor’s food might be unfamiliar with its genesis. Before she wrote her book, Lost Restaurants of St. Louis, Lemons Pollack was amazed at the number of devotees: “The chain’s popularity can be judged by the fact that the Parkmoor is far and away the restaurant people urged me to write about most when they learned I was writing this book.”
Harley Hammerman, the CEO of Metro Imaging and arguably the most prolific restaurant historian in St. Louis, agreed with Pollack. “Parkmoor blows the rest away,” he said describing history of the Parkmoor in great detail on his website, Lost Tables. “It’s mind-boggling how much more interest that restaurant has generated than the others.”
Here’s a synopsis: In 1925, two brothers from Texas invented the “auto soda server,” a beverage tray that carhops could hang from car windows (the original model had an arm that rested on the car’s running board) that would become popular at drive-in restaurants offering curb service, which were popular everywhere but St. Louis. Seeing an opportunity, William L. McGinley, the brother who founded TraCo, decided he would open a curb-service restaurant at the corner of Clayton and Big Bend, and called it The Parkmoor. Several more locations followed in the ’30s and ’40s. The food was scratch made, and a commissary was added at the flagship location (pictured below) to maintain quality and consistency.
From the collection of the Missouri Historical Society
For decades, oranged-jacketed carhops hustled sandwiches and drinks out to waiting cars. In 1950, so-called "squawk boxes" were added so customers could order food directly. But by the late 1960s, Hammerman reports that the heyday of restaurant drive-in was over, and in 1969, curb service was eliminated altogether when a futuristic, glass-and-stone structure replaced the flagship Tudor-style building. In 1977, McGinley's daughter, Lou Ellen, took over the business and ran it until 1999, when the first and last Parkmoor on that site closed after 70 years to make way for a Walgreens.
Watercolor courtesy Marilynne Bradley
By reinventing the brand, Romano hopes to create a nostalgic, family-friendly, no-frills restaurant, patterned after one that people will remember serving “classic burgers, fries, and pies,” as Romano put it.
“There really aren’t that many places in Webster that specifically cater to families,” he said of the bedroom suburb. “When Tro Mo [Tropical Moose] was here, my kids and I would be there all the time.”
To that end, Romano sourced and tweaked the SnoBall. Not to be confused with a snow-cone or a snow-ball, SnoBalls are made from finely flaked ice to better absorb the SnoWizard brand flavors, a premium line from New Orleans.
Romano has converted Half & Half’s coffee window into a grab-and-go dispensary and will offer SnoBalls at several inexpensive price points. “Restaurants like to see their guests walk away with something memorable and fun,” he says. “Hello, SnoBalls.”
Romano, his wife, Laura Burns, and partners acquired the assets of Half & Half earlier this spring and immediately got to work. Romano has applied for the Parkmoor trademark, “which surprisingly was available.” A more modern logo was developed and the exterior facade recalls the Parkmoor’s off-center gabled roofline.
Courtesy The Parkmoor
The interior footprint remains the same—the sought-after booths, the freestanding counter—but many of the finishes and wood stains have been softened. The predominantly white color scheme has been toned down and the wall behind the main counter (formerly a bank of white cabinets) has been faced with faux brick. At center stage on the wall is a focal point, Romano’s pride and joy—a 70s-era Teac reel-to-reel tape deck that he purchased, then proudly rebuilt. He’s paired with another throwback, a set of JBL studio monitors, long known for their accurate sound reproduction. “You can’t beat vintage hi-fi equipment...providing it still works,” he says.
Photo by George Mahe
Since his days at Araka with Brad Beracha, Romano has understood the importance of music and its power to literally change an establishment’s vibe as the day progresses. The Parkmoor’s playlist will begin with “warm, fuzzy, soulful tunes" in the morning, transition into funk for the afternoon, and flow into upbeat, higher-energy indy pop for the evening hours, but all of it “toe-tapping stuff,” according to Romano.
On the walls, instead of nubby, faux stone finishes and runs of screaming orange tile, Romano is currently sourcing pop art and watercolors. “The color orange will be present but not prominent,” says Romano, as he reminds us that fresh orange juice was always served at The Parkmoor and that he plans to honor that tradition.
A signature root beer will be kegged and carbonated on site, with a float option using vanilla ice cream from Serendipity, also based in Webster Groves. A dozen or so beers and the same number of wines will be available, plus a reserve list, “just in case there’s a call,” Romano says.
The 3,700-square-foot seat restaurant has 80 possible seats inside and an additional 30 on the sidewalk. New innovations include hand-held ordering (via QR code), curbside pickup, and delivery by in house staff.
And although the new Parkmoor doesn’t have drive-in service, carhops, or even a drive-thru window. "Post-pandemic, literally anything is possible in a future store,” Romano says.
