The Mud House reopens with the same staff, different owner
Founders Casey and Jeremy Miller will stay on for a time to smooth the transition.
Photo by George Mahe
The Mud House, one of the most beloved coffee shops in town, has reopened under new ownership, "but no one would ever know that,” says Chris Sedlak, who acquired the business from Casey and Jeremy Miller in late July. “Ever since I walked through the door, I loved everything about the place," he reflects. "The culture, the feel, the products—I’d be crazy to change one thing.”
Sedlak, a local industry vet, was a multi-unit franchisee for Jimmy John’s before investing in several local restaurants. Sedlak is also founding partner in Wicked Greenz, the fast-casual, chef-driven salad-and-soup concept with two metro units (in Clayton and O’Fallon, Missouri) and more to come.
Sedlak and his wife, Courtney, also own Hangar Kitchen & Bar, located in the former Slider House space at McKnight and Manchester. Slated to open later this week, Hangar is a full-service restaurant with aeronautic design details, “just enough to justify the theme,” he told SLM last year, “not to the point of kitsch.”
Sedlak says he’s also passionate about breakfast and coffee and has wanted to get into that business as well. He’d been friends with Jeremy Miller for years and, more recently, had asked for “first dibs” if the coffee shop ever became available. “Six months ago, we started talking,” Sedlak says, “long before the epidemic hit.”
The Millers have other interests (including two record shops and a construction business), they just restored a house, plus welcomed a newborn into their lives. “We are so thankful and appreciative to the Cherokee Street community have been able to build what we built," says Jeremy, "but we no longer have the time to give it the attention it deserves. Chris and Ryan Renwick, our GM and roaster, are in a position to do that."
"I think back to all the people who showed us the way, mentors like Charlie Downs and Jim Fiala," he continues. "Navigating our way through the pandemic, they're still helping us, and we're so grateful."
"We made so many friends at The Mud House," adds Casey. "Almost every person we're close to now we met in that building." An artist by trade (as evidenced by the latte art she would occasionally create in the shop), she has found time to begin illustrating a book now that she has "the brain space."
Photo by George Mahe
Photo by George Mahe
A portion of the secluded rear patio at The Mud House
When the Millers took over the former Mississippi Mud House, in 2008, neither had ever been in the coffee café business—and maybe that was a good thing, because they approached it differently. They let their background in antiques shine through, evidenced by a scatter of knickknacks on one wall and a case of for-sale antique books on another. They spun vinyl records on a turntable. And Mud House was among the first coffee shops with a kitchen run by an accomplished chef, Chris Bork, who set high standards. The Mud House was, and remains, a special place.
Most of the popular food items have returned, such as the Breakfast Sandwich (egg, goat cheese, cucumber, apricot chutney, brioche bun), the Burrito (made with vegetarian black bean chili), and the Mud Slinger, as have Jeremy’s beloved scones (best enjoyed while they're warm).
Photo by George Mahe
“We were lucky,” Sedlak says. “The same crew has returned, many of them coming back in the last few weeks to ready the place for opening,” which has been idle since March 17. “Casey and Jeremy will stay on for two months and then will consult with us by phone. The only difference customers will notice is that the food menu has been pared down and the service model has been changed in response to the pandemic."
Customers can order online, over the phone, or in person for patio dining and takeout, from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. every day.
In between expanding Wicked Greenz and keeping tabs at Hangar, Sedlak says his immediate plans are to "hang out with the Mud House crew, drink some coffee, and better learn that business.”
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with comments from Casey and Jeremy Miller.
Photo by George Mahe
