Meet St. Louis

Maxine Clark came up with the idea and opened the first Build a Bear store inside the St. Louis Galleria in under a year. But it wasn’t her first experience in retail. The Florida native moved to St. Louis with her job with The May Company and would go on to be president of Payless Shoes. In her career she became an innovator in the retail industry. She joined me on the podcast for an in-depth conversation inside Delmar Divine, the former St. Luke's Hospital turned hub for non-profits. Maxine’s passion for life and improving the lives of those around her shines through each of her endeavors and she’s got quite the story to share.

314 Day is a day we can all get behind: a day to celebrate our love for St. Louis. That was the goal for the founders almost 20 years ago - take a day in March that signifies our city’s iconic area code and turn it into a day to hype our community, small businesses and the people that make it special. We sat down with one of the founders, Tatum Polk, and one of the board members for the 314 Day Foundation, Jami Dolby, to find out why this day is one to circle on the calendar and everything that’s in store for this years celebration. List of all 314 Day events: https://tinyurl.com/mrx5n6dm

Ron Himes never intended to spend his life on the stage but when he saw fellow Black students at Washington University left out of productions he wanted to do something. In 1976 he created his own theater company which would eventually evolve into The Black Rep of St. Louis. For nearly 50 years they’ve put on shows of all sizes and in all forms with the goal of sharing the African American experience through the power of art. As they gear up for their milestone season, we sat down with Ron, the theater’s founder to talk about the story behind the company and what the future holds.

If you’ve ever wanted to play life-size Connect 4 or giant ping pong, then you’ll want to listen up. This week’s episode is all about the kid inside all of us. We headed to Rec Hall, a huge indoor game spot in St. Charles. Imagine a bar with games and an arcade with good food. That’s exactly the vision Chris Honstain had when he quit his corporate life to open a business. Chris shares the journey from his first location in The Grove neighborhood, how they helped create the Armory project and how they continue to grow and expand their destination spot in St. Charles, including the expansion into some high-tech virtual reality.

Bartolino’s is a family affair, a generational restaurant group for not just it’s owners but it’s diners. It all started with a pizza joint on the hill and then the Saracino’s opened the first Bartolino’s in 1969. Since then they’ve opened several additional locations including their newest restaurant in Twin Oaks. We sat down with the second generation on this week’s podcast, Mike, Bart and Chris, three of the four brothers who help run one of St. Louis’ favorite Italian restaurants. While the third generation helps ensure they are keeping things new and fresh, there are several menu items that stood the test of time and date back to the original restaurant. For hours and menus: https://www.bartolinosrestaurants.com/

For more than a decade Cleveland Heath has helped shape the dining scene of downtown Edwardsville. It is now owned by husband and wife duo Evan and Gina Buckholz. Evan is in the kitchen, and Gina is in the front of house. Together they are bringing farm-to-table and beloved comfort food to diners in the Metro East. Their whole goal is to connect with the community and create a space where all are welcome. Learn more about classes, hours and their menu: www.clevelandheath.com/about

For many people, Fast Eddie’s Bon Air is a rite of passage. The Metro East bar hosts thousands of 21st birthdays every year. But it’s much more than that. It’s an institution in Alton, Illinois, and we head there to sit down with co-owners Eddie Scholar and Ross Laux to get the inside story. The history and the future, plus how do they manage to serve up the coldest beer in town?

When Mayra Pacheco moved to St. Louis, she struggled to find a taste of her home country of Venezuela. So she decided to do it herself. She started at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market with the help of her sister. They started with a small menu and then expanded as customers started making requests for things like empanadas. One year ago, she made the big leap to opening her own brick-and-mortar restaurant. We sat down at her restaurant just off of Washington Avenue in Downtown St. Louis to talk about food, family and the first-year struggles for business owners. Visit their website for hours and menu: amaizingarepabar.com

When Jeff Stevens stopped drinking in the early 90s, there were very few options when he’d go out with friends to a bar. Finally, he decided to change that. In 2017, he founded Wellbeing Brewing Company, a nonalcoholic craft beer brand that’s help shaped the way of the category in the beverage business. Now, in 2025, they have several different beer varieties, plus they are expanding into the CBD and, eventually, the THC beverage landscape. Jeff shares the science behind the beer, the growing movement away from alcohol and what excites him most about building a community for the sober and sober curious. You can check out a store locator map on Wellbeing Brewery’s website to try them for yourself. Find them at: WellBeingBrewing.com/pages/store-locator During this episode, we discussed an event at Maryland House on January 23. For tickets: TheMarylandHouse.com/event-details/wellraiser

Steve’s Hot Dogs is a St. Louis classic. They had a massive year in 2024, opening new locations and serving up their popular hot dogs at St. Louis sporting events and festivals. But when we first talked to founder Steve Ewing on this podcast back in 2018, he was hanging up his hot dog hat, prepared to shut his doors for good. But the community said no way, and after bringing in new partners, the restaurant has seen major success and growth. And to think it all started with a hot dog stand outside a concert venue. We sat down with Steve to talk about how his career as the lead singer for The Urge spurred his second act as a restauranteur. With locations on South Grand, Delmar and now The District in Chesterfield, it’s easier than ever to find St. Louis’ official hot dog.