Thurman's in Shaw transitions to Gallery Pub on Thurman

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Courtesy Thurman's

Thurman’s in Shaw has officially changed ownership. Rebranding as Gallery Pub on Thurman (4069 Shenandoah), the location is now open for drinks and live music, with pizza on the way.

Courtesy Gallery Pub on Thurman

Dave and Julie Gant, their daughter Allie, and Allie’s fiancé, Dakota Reese, will oversee the family-run business. The Gants had been regular patrons of the pub's previous iteration until service was halted during the pandemic. While on a leisurely walk during shutdown, Julie and Dave passed the space and sparked a conversation about the possibility of opening their own pizza place.

“When Thurman’s opened back up, we approached [previous owner] Doug Fowler and said we were interested in buying if he wanted to sell some day,” recalls Dave. “Around October, we sat down with him and worked through numbers and went ahead and bought it.”

The new ownership is bringing multiple changes to the pub, starting with the food. Pivoting from the previous fare of sandwiches and burgers, the venue will transition to Italian-style, stone-fired pizza, soups, and salads from head chef Wes Whitney. There are also multiple neighborhood partnerships in the works for the new menu, such as a Navin’s BBQ–sourced pizza, a Hawaiian-style pizza in conjunction with Buzz’s Hawaiian Grill, and desserts from Ices Plain & Fancy.

The pizza oven is still a few weeks away from being installed, but the restaurant is currently offering small bites, such as French fries with pizza toppings, vegetarian and chicken lettuce bowls, and pizza rolls. Once the pizza portion of the operation is up and running, there will be a walk-up window for to-go service.

Courtesy Thurman's

Live music has been a staple in the past, with the spot hosting jazz. It will continue to host live jazz acts while incorporating new genres as well. The current plan is for Gallery Pub to host music two or three times per week, in addition to music on the patio during the summer.

The building's interior also saw extensive remodeling. “We painted everything, we’ve lightened it up, and put a new lighting system in,” says Dave. The floors were also redone, the bar was redesigned, and window seating was added. There will be a 50-seat capacity indoors, with an additional 50 seats outside. 

STL Arch photograph by Michael La Rue

As the pub's name implies, local art will also be a key element. Julie is a counseling art therapist, and Allie is a working artist and curator at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. Art openings will occur every other month and will begin with the grand opening, slated for this Tuesday, March 8.