Il Bel Lago Owner On Busch's Grove: We're Out
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch speculates the Bommarito family may have an interest in the site.
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One day after St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Deb Peterson speculated on the possibility that the Bommarito family may find a way to locate a Tony's restaurant on the site of the former Busch's Grove, Patch has confirmed that the owners of Il Bel Lago in Creve Coeur are no longer considering opening a restaurant at the Ladue location.
"We're out," Frank Gabrielle said by phone Tuesday afternoon. In July, Patch reported that Gabrielles and another business partner, were going to open a restaurant in November.
Gabrielle said the concept "fell out of the sky" to them, but ultimately they could not come up with a way to make the economics of it all work without subdividing the property.
The initial plans had called for subdividing the 13,000-square-foot site into a more manageable 8,000 square feet for the restaurant, with a retail tenant occupying the remainder of the space.
jeffery leathers
9:32 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The best to Frank, his family and his great staff. IlBel Lago is my own little once a week family.
Nate Birt
10:26 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Very interesting. Thanks for this update, Gregg. We're following the possibility of a Bommarito restaurant at The Cheshire hotel site in Richmond Heights. I'm sure there are many factors at play. I'd be curious to know when a final decision will be made.