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St. Louis' Iconic Bevo Mill Restaurant Shuts Doors

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — It survived the sale of Anheuser-Busch to InBev late last year. But the iconic Bevo Mill restaurant in south St. Louis apparently has fallen to the nation's hard times.

Just two months after Anheuser-Busch donated the historic Bevo Mill to a city agency, the owner who leases the restaurant known for its towering Dutch windmill has closed its doors.

The city said Friday that finding a new tenant will be tough in this recession.

There was no answer at the telephone of restaurant owner David Gilbert. Even the Bevo Mill's Web site was under construction.

City spokesman Ed Rhode said Gilbert had missed his February and March payments to the St. Louis Development Corp. The agency had acquired the property from Anheuser-Busch for $1 in January.

The city sent a letter to Gilbert on March 12 warning him that he was at risk of defaulting on his lease unless he responded in 10 days. Rhode said the agency and Gilbert talked on Thursday, but he didn't know what was said.

Rhode said the city is considering its options, including finding another restaurateur to run the Bevo.

"We'd like to see someone in there for the stability of the neighborhood," he said.

The closure has left couples who booked wedding receptions at the Bevo scrambling to find another venue.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Cameron and Patricia Sparks were hoping to renew their marriage vows at a ceremony at the restaurant on Saturday, but are settling for the bride's parents backyard. They've been unable to get a refund on the $3,000 they've already paid the restaurant.

The restaurant was completed in 1916. August A. Busch Sr. used to entertain business associates at the Flemish-inspired spot and used its Mill Room as his private dining room.

The restaurant is halfway between the brewery and Grant's Farm, which was then Busch's home and is now a family attraction open to the public.

The German-inspired restaurant was closed to all but private parties from 2001 through 2006, when Gilbert and a partner reopened it as a restaurant.