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Brant+Baldanza+and+his+staff+in+front+of+The+Corner+Pub+opening+day+on+Oct.+20%2C+2007.%0A

Courtesy of Brant Baldanza

Brant Baldanza and his staff in front of The Corner Pub opening day on Oct. 20, 2007.

Restaurant owner Brant Baldanza rises to success

The Shack, The Tavern and The Corner Pub and Grill are all successful local restaurants owned by 1991 alumnus Brant Baldanza, who first got into the restaurant business by working at Mike Duffy’s when he was 16-years-old.

I am childhood friends with fellow Parkway West grad Katie Frailey, and her dad, Bruce Frailey, [who] opened Mike Duffy’s in Town and Country. I was a cook there and was actually part of the first order that was sent out of the kitchen,” Baldanza said.

Post-college experiences inspired the growth of Baldanza’s passion for the hospitality industry.

“From the time I started at the age of 16 to moonlighting [working multiple jobs] out of college at Cafe Napoli, I loved being in the hospitality industry,” Baldanza said. “I learned so much from Bruce Frailey and Tony Pietoso [owner of Cafe Napoli] about the restaurant industry, from cooking to serving, to bartending to managing the restaurant and the people.”

Courtesy of Brant Baldanza
Brant Baldanza and Jon Fogarty working in The Corner Pub.

Frailey, Pietoso and Baldanza’s father helped Baldanza on his path to opening his own restaurant.

“Bruce and Tony were big role models on how to run a restaurant and be hospitable, but my dad played a big role on how to make a restaurant a business,” Baldanza said.

The Shack opened in 2014 to offset the parking problem The Tavern and The Corner Pub caused at night. The Shack’s first location was by St. Louis University on Laclede.

“We were just trying to break even, and now we have plans to open 20-30 more Shacks across the Midwest in the next five to seven years. We plan on opening two or three more in the St. Louis area and then finding similar demographics to St. Louis County as we grow to other markets [like] Kansas City, Denver and Nashville,” Baldanza said.

Starting the Shack turned out to be a big failure for Baldanza at his first attempt.

“The [original] building [of the Shack] was literally and figuratively falling in on us. We were losing money and a lot of it. We found out a lot about us, [that] we don’t give up or just fold our hands; we make the best of what we have.”

The Shack has become a St. Louis icon not only for its food but also because customers can write on the walls as they dine, an idea inspired by the Broadway Oyster Bar.

“They let you write on the walls down there, and we go down there before Cardinal games to laugh about the last time we signed their wall. We thought it would be fun to have our ‘Shackers’  share those same kinds of memories,” Baldanza said.

Baldanza and his business partner Jon Fogarty started The Corner Pub together on Dougherty Ferry and Big Bend on Oct. 20, 2007.

Jon and I have dreamed of opening a restaurant for a very long time. When we found this location, we felt the area was missing what we grew up with, [which was] a neighborhood pub that you can hang out at with the family, or come up the next night and hang with the neighbors or friends watching the game,” Baldanza said.

Courtesy of Brant Baldanza
Brant Baldanza and with his daughters Ellie, two-years-old at the time, and Hanna, 10-years-old at the time, in front of The Corner Pub before the concrete was poured in the restaurant.

Baldanza and his wife Heather moved back to West County from Clayton three years after The Corner Pub opened to open The Tavern.

“We realized there were not many high-end restaurants to eat at in West County,” Baldanza said. “We saw a business opportunity to provide a higher-end dining experience that no one at the time was providing.”

Baldanza’s daughter Hanna was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2004, which requires a gluten-free diet. Ever since, going to eat out as a family has been difficult. The menus for Baldanza’s restaurants consist of gluten free options for not only his daughter, but for others suffering from the condition.

No matter how many times my parents wished my brother was an only child, they constantly encouraged me to be better the next day and to never stop raising my bar from the day before. I remember that everyday when with my employees and fellow co-workers.

— Brant Baldanza

“[There were] not a lot of options because people not knowing what Celiac is just frustrating. When we opened The Corner Pub in 2007, I wanted to do something for her, [so I created] someplace where she can enjoy food like any other 10-year-old,” Baldanza said. “What I didn’t know was how many other people suffer from Celiac or require a gluten-free diet. From there it just kept growing. Our staff has stood behind the idea and are knowledgeable about it, which helps make it the success it is.”

Baldanza has faced the challenge of balancing his family life with restaurant life ever since he started his endeavors.

“I am lucky to have my wife Heather who understands what I do and kids who know the lifestyle we signed up for,” Baldanza said.

Courtesy of Brant Baldanza
Brant Baldanza and his wife Heather with Jon Fogarty and his wife celebrating signing the lease for The Corner Pub at the Eleven Eleven restaurant in Mississippi.

Baldanza attributes his success in the restaurant business to Parkway and his family.

“From an academic standpoint, I was not what you call a ‘role model student,’ but no teacher turned a blind eye to me, gave up on me or treated me differently,” Baldanza said. “No matter how many times my parents wished my brother was an only child, they constantly encouraged me to be better the next day and to never stop raising my bar from the day before. I remember that everyday when with my employees and fellow co-workers.”

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Comments (11)

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  • K

    Kim LinkOct 10, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    The Baldanza’s success is hard earned and well deserved! Thank you for so many awesome food establishments in the area!

    Reply
  • J

    Jan ReichterOct 10, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Sarah, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article. Bill and I and other family have frequented these restaurants and I found it very interesting to learn about their history. Thanks for the information🤓
    Jan Reichter

    Reply
  • M

    Maria WidowskiOct 10, 2017 at 12:30 pm

    Great article, thanks! They are a great family that has really given back to Parkway! Plus, the food at their restaurants is always great! The Tavern is a favorite of mine!

    Reply
  • J

    Jim ScottOct 10, 2017 at 7:46 am

    You are really becoming a skilled interviewer. Keep up the good work, Sarah.

    Reply
  • J

    Josh TrimbleOct 9, 2017 at 7:21 pm

    Jon and Brant are amazing people and are well deserving of there success! Their restaurants are top notch with great staff. Congrats to the both of you!!

    Reply
  • P

    Pam HeatonOct 9, 2017 at 6:53 pm

    And yet another interesting article, Sarah. It is always good to hear stories of locals in our community doing well

    Reply
  • S

    Sandy FordOct 9, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    Well written a very inviting writing style.
    We like all 3 of the restaurants A LOT!

    Reply
  • P

    Penny DavisOct 9, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    This was fun, Sarah, since I remember Brant and Jon as friends of my son Hunt. I will forward the article to him.

    Reply
  • E

    Ellen FriedmanOct 9, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    Great job, Sarah! It is fun to see these young men and their success. I remember them well.

    Reply
  • L

    Lois HendricksonOct 9, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    It is interesting to read about people from this area that come back and help to improve the area instead of moving somewhere else. Very well written Sarah!!

    Reply
  • S

    Susan LashlyOct 8, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    This is another well written and very interesting story, Sarah. It is so nice to read about the successes of Parkway West graduates.

    Reply