A Lafayette Square favorite is being reimagined and a new concept introduced – all in the same space. Owner Dave Bailey announced today, June 28, that he will pare down Baileys’ Chocolate Bar and reopen part of the space at 1915 Park Ave., as a new restaurant.
The “old” Chocolate Bar will serve its last confection Saturday, July 8.
“We want to breathe new life into it,” Bailey said. “It’s been 13 years, and Chocolate Bar has become, at least in our minds, a St. Louis institution, as we’d hoped. But I think it’s time for a decor update, and it’s time to take a new approach with the desserts.”
The new version will be located on the second floor of building, while the ground level will debut a new restaurant. The new concept, which will be announced in mid- to late July, will be an independent entity expected to open in August.
“They’ll be separate restaurants,” Bailey said. “Separate look, separate feel, separate everything. We’ll be putting stuff out on social media with more specific info on the opening date soon.”
Bailey said he hopes the new incarnation of the Chocolate Bar will reopen about two weeks after closing. Its new menu will be more curated, but the Baileys’ Chocolate Bar name would remain.
“We want to carry over some of the familiarity of the Chocolate Bar, but we want it to be brand-new at the same time.” He said some design elements would be retained, like the chandeliers, but “frankly, that’s about it. From a decor standpoint, you’ll have a sense that you’re still at Chocolate Bar, but it will be brand-new.”
Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.
This article appears in June 2017.