{Ted Wilson}
It’s been more than a year since The Scoop announced that Ted Wilson, former baker at The Good Pie, was planning to open his own artisan bakery-cum-restaurant. At the time, Wilson had not settled on a space, but today, he moves one step closer to getting his venture, Loafers, off the ground.
Wilson signed the lease today for the space at 4301 McRee Ave., on the northwest corner of McRee and Tower Grove avenues in Botanical Heights. Loafers joins a trio of other newer eating establishments on that corner –La Patisserie Chouquette, wine bar Olio and its sister restaurant, Elaia.
As discussed in a Sauce feature story published in November 2012, Loafers will specialize in European breads, but it will follow a different business model than most bakeries, since fresh breads will come out of the oven in the afternoon, not the morning. And, since Loafers will have seating as well as a bar, it will offer sandwiches at lunchtime and small plates through the evening.
Wilson also plans to put a spotlight on pizzas of all styles at his Sunday Pizza Dinners. “It will be a playground for me,” said Wilson of the weekly pizza-fest idea during an interview with The Scoop last spring. Running the front of the house will be Wilson’s business partner Sean Netzer, currently charged with managing the beer and whiskey programs at 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar.
Wilson said he will occupy the space in late November or early December with a projected opening in spring 2014.
-Photo by Greg Rannells
This article appears in July 2013.