Sportsman's Park's Very Own Angel--Angel Kruse

A wise manager at Sportsman’s Park at 9901 Clayton Rd. in Ladue once said, “People don’t come in here for the drinks or the food.  They come in here for the people.”

One person they come in to see is Angel Kruse, Ladue High class of ‘82.  Angel has been a bartender at Sportsman’s Park for 20 years, “On and off,” she said.  “Mostly on.”

It took two visits to the place to interview her.  The first night, around 7:00, it was so crowded that she didn’t have a moment to talk.  “Come on back tomorrow around 5:00,” she said.  “I’ll have some time.”

Hah!

It’s pre-happy hour; no games on the two TV’s at either end of the bar are on yet; just ESPN hashing and rehashing games and scores of last week, and predicting the scores of games of next week.

And yet, at 4:55, she was hustling to get the back bar set up for the imminent rush; bantering and listening to a bit of whispered gossip from a co-worker;  making sure that the regular early bird on their regular stools were getting their regular amount of service and attention.  Only then did she walk down to the reporter at the end of the bar.

So, how is business going since the no smoking ban went into effect?

“Actually, it’s been busier,” she said, drawing a beer from the countless selections Sportsman’s offers.  “It’s a small place and I think people who are bothered by smoke are coming back.”

The conversation at the bar is, of course, sports.  Angel is an athletic looking woman.  Did she play sports?  “Oh, yeah, I’ve always been athletic. In high school I played field hockey, softball, I swam.”

Which event did she swim?  The look she gives is quizzical.  You know, backstroke, butterfly, freestyle…

“All of them,” she said proudly.  “You’re not going to print that, are you?” 

Angel has two children.  Her son Ryan Kruse, 26, lives in San Francisco where he’s an underwriter for Liberty Mutual.  Daughter Kristen Kruse, 25, is in business school in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  “Kristen Noel,” Angel adds, “Born on Christmas day.”

Angel went to nursing school out of Ladue High but when she found out she had to wait two years to get a job she started bartending.  Working in a bar, getting to know patrons, making friends with co-workers tends to get into a person’s blood.  Plus, if you have the combination of looks, personality, energy and skill that Angel brings, you can make a darn good living.

“Yeah,” Angel says. “I make good money. And, I get great entertainment every night.”

Entertainment?

“Well, the talk, the jokes.  The good thing about this place is that everybody knows everybody.”

How did she get into bartending?

“I tried office work.  I can’t sit down.  I worked at a desk.  I sold orthopedics for BioMed.  I worked for Bono. They’re a food distributor.  I was in sales, but I spent most of my time out in the warehouse because I just can’t sit behind a desk,” she said.  

You don’t sit down behind the bar, either.  That suits her fine.

What does she see for her future?

“I see retiring, moving out to the country.  I want a horse.  I can’t have one now,” she laughs. “I live in Shrewsbury.”  She glances down the bar to check on her customers.  “Excuse me…”

 Tom and David Ruck, a father and son, are having a beer before heading down to the Blues game.  “She’s fantastic,” Tom, the father, said.  And then, making sure that Angel hears him he says, “She sure talks a lot though, doesn’t she?”  Angel chimes in, “I’m walking away from this.”

“You need to be personable to do her job,” son David says.  That she is.

“I love my job,” Angel said, placing a couple of fresh ones in front of Tom and David.  “I love the people who come in here.  Without them I don’t know where I’d be.”

Without Angel behind the bar, it’s obvious where they’d be.

Some place else.