Courtesy of Hamilton Hospitality
“The fire was caused by patrons smoking in a non-smoking area who then extinguished their cigarettes in one of our hanging rooftop planters,” according to Vin de Set owner Paul Hamilton. “The fire slowly spread from the planter over several hours ultimately destroying the entire rooftop deck.”
Paul and Wendy Hamilton, owners of the Hamilton Hospitality group of restaurants in St. Louis, have announced that Vin de Set, PW Pizza, and 21st Street Brewer’s Bar—all of them located in the building at 2017 Chouteau—will not reopen following a fire in September. Eight of the private rooms used by Moulin Events, also owned by Hamilton Hospitality and located in the same building, will not reopen as well.
“It’s not a decision we came to lightly,” Paul says. “After the fire, we had every intention of reopening the entire building—all three restaurants and the event spaces. In a follow up email, he wrote, "After months of obtaining bids to rebuild and carry out the necessary fire remediation as well as determining the insurance loss limits, it has become clear that the funds necessary to rebuild the structure as it once was just aren't there to do so."
“Since the fire occurred on the roof, it was not fire that did the damage but the water," he tells SLM. "The building had to be completely gutted…electrical, HVAC, ductwork, lighting, drywall. All of that had to be replaced, and the costs were mind-boggling."
Hamilton says the remaining businesses under the Hamilton Hospitality group umbrella—Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse, Winnie’s Wine Bar, and Moulin’s other event spaces (Rhone Rum Bar, with seating for 100; The Garage, with seating for 100; and The Grand Hall, with seating for 500)—“have done fantastic in the absence of the other venues and will absolutely remain open.” Any person with a gift card to the closed restaurants may redeem it at another Hamilton Hospitality group property.
Hamilton adds that the building will be sold, but he “doesn’t see it remaining vacant for very long,” especially considering the state and federal tax credits that are available. “It could be apartments, it could be a small hotel, it could be offices, a mixed-use building. Who knows? We may actually become a tenant in whatever the building becomes."
