Dinner at the Loft, an intimate supper club known for its communal dining experiences, is taking the next step: It’s opening its first permanent brick-and-mortar, Scout’s, this fall at 2704 Locust St. in Midtown, in the former home of Nexus. The new space comes from the team behind The Biscuit Joint, which opened in Midtown in 2023 and doubled as the evening home for Dinner at the Loft pop-ups, giving the supper club a semi-permanent footprint before now.
Co-owners Brandon Panosh, a 2023 Sauce Magazine Ones to Watch honoree, and Elliott Brown have guided the evolution. “We want to be very clear that Dinner at the Loft isn’t ending; it’s more of an evolution,” Brown said. “Our ultimate dream was to get to this point. We’d love to eventually get back to doing meals in people’s homes, but right now that’s on pause.”
Blueprints for a permanent space were drawn as early as 2023, but city permitting delays led them to pivot into pop-ups and eventually into The Biscuit Joint, where Dinner at the Loft had already been operating. When Nexus closed, their landlord – who owns the building where they live – approached them with the Midtown space. “We walked over and instantly fell in love with everything about it,” Brown said. Nestled within walking distance of both the Biscuit Joint and their residence, it felt like a dream come true for the longtime Midtown residents, who had always imagined building a food group centered in the neighborhood where they live and work.
While nearly a turnkey establishment, the team is making some updates, such as a fresh coat of paint and new decor, including wooden tables made by David Stine Furniture. They’ve also tapped longtime collaborator Will Rogers – who they formerly worked with at the Last Hotel and who most recently did a stint at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis – and now partial owner, to anchor front-of-house operations. This lets Brown and Panosh concentrate on kitchen execution.
The Scout’s menu will present New American cuisine with Italian‑Mediterranean flair: housemade breads and pastas, local produce with some imported Italian ingredients, and dishes ranging from chicken and beef to seafood and desserts. There will be both small plates and larger entrees, designed for sharing across the table but also accommodating solo diners. Specific include a hummus plate served with braised chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil and house-made harissa served with fresh flatbread; grilled cabbage with nduja cream, toasted sunflower seeds, chive oil and dill; crab cavatelli with Calabrian chile butter, preserved lemon, herbs and bread crumbs; and house sourdough served with butter and bolognese. “Who doesn’t like meat sauce and bread?” Brown said. Meals are served in an unfussy, communal spirit true to Dinner at the Loft’s origins. Many of the dishes have been refined over the last five years and will feel familiar to longtime fans.
The beverage program will focus on wines and streamlined classic cocktails that highlight kitchen flavors, along with an elevated non-alcoholic cocktail list, a personal touch from all three owners, who no longer drink and are excited to show what thoughtful NA offerings can look like.
Scout’s will occupy roughly 1,800 square feet, accommodating around 80 indoor seats and another 20 on a covered patio. Each room will have its own identity: The Living Room with couches and a lounge vibe, The Dining Room for a more intimate feel perfect for date nights, a communal area called The Kitchen featuring a 12-foot table made by David Stine, and the cozy patio, which will be referred to as The Backyard.
They plan to open five nights a week Thursday through Monday with hopes to eventually grow into brunch and lunch service. They’re targeting an opening between late October and early November, with pop-up preview events in the interim to welcome guests and refine the evolving space.
“This has always been the dream,” Brown said. “To have a permanent home where people can come together over food, connect, and feel taken care of.”
This article appears in August 2025.