One of the Central West End’s most prominent intersections is poised for a major revival, with two new concepts opening across from each other at Maryland Plaza and Euclid Avenue. The Noble Crown (300 N. Euclid), a partnership between restaurateur Kevin Brennan and the Saint Louis Chess Club, will fill the long-vacant Culpepper’s and adjacent FroYo spaces.
Across the intersection, The Marvel S. Fox (2 Maryland Plaza), an atypical sports bar named after the great grandmother of two of its partners, will move into the former Coffee Cartel space.
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Here’s what we know so far.
The Marvel S. Fox
Located in the 1,850-square-foot space that previously housed Coffee Cartel, The Marvel S. Fox will be a sports bar with a playful backstory. The name comes from the great-grandmother of two of the partners, Marvel A. Fox—who referred to herself as Marvel S. Fox—a moniker Brennan calls “wacky enough to inspire an unconventional bar.”
He describes the concept as a “sports tavern and fun house,” built around classic, low-tech entertainment: steel-tip darts, bar dice, ping pong, and plenty of TV screens. “It’s the kind of stuff a lot of us had in our basements back in the day,” Brennan says. The two young descendants of Marvel S. Fox will serve as the public-facing hosts, reinforcing the bar’s playful, social energy.
Part of the initial whimsy includes a Trophy Drive, which solicits guests to dig up their high school trophies and drop them off at Brennan’s (316 N. Euclid) for a $5 credit for each trophy at Marvel S. Fox. “Now your legacy lives on forever and you’ve got a little credit to Boot,” the promotion reads.
The space will also include an in-house “amateur shop” selling branded apparel. Items will include hoodies, tracksuits, funky sneakers, wristbands, and sweatbands. Lockers will be available for guests to store personal gear such as darts or ping-pong paddles, further leaning into the old-school rec-room vibe.
Food will be intentionally casual, reflecting the limited kitchen facilities. Expect snacks, salads, and items such as tacos. (“There’s a shortage of tacos in the neighborhood right now, so they’ll definitely be part of the mix,” Brennan quips.) The menu is still in development, but food will be served on disposable ware from an open kitchen that functions as an extension of the bar. Seating will be mostly counter- and bar-height, a deliberate choice that’s designed for socializing.
Similar to Brennan’s and Maryland House, Marvel S. Fox will include a membership component that allows guests to invest in the project through a six-tier crowdfunding model, with annual levels ranging from $100 to $5,000. (See details on each tier here.)
The partners include seasoned CWE industry vets and a small group of anonymous investors, as well as the great-granddaughters of Marvel S. Fox. “Part of the goal of everyone involved,” Brennan says, “is to draw a younger demographic to the neighborhood, which we all feel the neighborhood needs.”
The Marvel S. Fox is expected to open in June, in time for the World Cup, and stay open until midnight seven days a week.
In the meantime, look for a dark red façade with cream accents and dark wood, along with 13 doors and transom windows which describe the vibe—”bench warmers,” “luxury box and cheap seats,” “amateur shop,” “good eats,” the best odds”—along with a window cling adding some context for the real Marvel Fox.
Inaugural hours are Mon-Thu from 3 p.m. – late and Fri-Sun from 11 a.m. – late.
The Noble Crown
Located across the intersection, The Noble Crown is a collaboration between the Saint Louis Chess Club and Noble Concessions, led by Brennan, who also owns nearby Brennan’s and Maryland House.
According to a release, the design includes “subtle nods to the strategic beauty of the [chess] game,” with a name that references the king’s crown and the “noble” spirit long associated with chess. Brennan underscores that restraint. “There’s an underlying chess theme, but it’s intentionally downplayed, since there’s already a strongly chess-themed restaurant on the other corner [Kingside Diner]. The Noble Crown will be more subdued.”
The main floor will seat 55 guests, with the bar relocated from the east wall to the north wall. Sidewalk seating will accommodate about 40 more diners. The kitchen will occupy the former FroYo space to the east.
The menu will focus on elevated American classics—appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées, and desserts—served in a full-service format. Brennan also plans to develop a pantry of branded staples inspired by classic American cuisine, an idea he says he’s been wanting to pursue for years.
Downstairs, the concept expands significantly into three distinct spaces:
- Under Ground Crown: A 50-seat wine bar featuring a central “burrata bar” used to display an antipasto spread. The ceiling height, a longtime issue in the former Culpepper’s basement, has been raised to 8.5 feet.
- The Purveyor’s Table: A chef’s counter for six guests, where coursed meals are cooked and plated in a private room in front of diners.
- The Boiler Room: A 24-seat private dining room that will host dinners and revive Brennan’s long-running guest-chef series, This Is Not A Restaurant, where guest chefs were encouraged to “cook out of their comfort zone” in one-off dinner format. “It’s an established brand shaped by about 60 chefs over the years,” Brennan says. “We’ll continue it here with local, national, and international chefs, with some involvement from the Chess Club.” Of the space itself, he adds, “It’s a former boiler room with 13-foot ceilings—in a basement. You don’t see that very often.”
Slated to open next spring, likely in March, The Noble Crown will serve lunch and dinner daily. Tentative hours are from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The lower-level spaces will operate from Wednesday through Saturday as demand dictates.
“We’ve always experimented with different formats and events,” Brennan says, citing concepts such as UnReal Thursdays, a prix-fixe event at Maryland House with different food stations, drinks, and entertainment that became a popular weekly staple. “The downstairs spaces at Noble give us room to do more off-center, creative programming like that.”
