Citing the economy and his growing consulting business, chef and owner Eric Brenner has closed his Moxy Bistro after seven years. “People are just spending less and we couldn’t sustain that lower check average with so few seats,” Brenner said of the Central West End restaurant. “[I] really just want to focus all of my creative energy on creating; I don’t want the ‘business’ to devour my passion for this craft and this industry. I will be focusing on my consulting work. … I have an ongoing contract with the Isle of Capri [Casinos] to work on all of their food service operations throughout the country. It was hard to split my energy. My hope is to continue raising the bar on inventive food offerings in St. Louis and beyond.”
This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2010.