Leah and AJ Mensey, owners of popular Chesterfield vegan restaurant VegaDeli, will be inking the lease this week that will bring VegaDeli to St. Louis City. VegaDeli’s newest location will make its home at 307 and 309 Belt Ave., off of Pershing Avenue and just around the corner from Atlas Restaurant in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood.
Leah said she and her husband began looking for a location in the city after many of their clients indicated that they’d come by more often if Chesterfield weren’t such a hike. The Menseys chose the city spot for a variety of reasons that they’re hoping mean keeping old clients and attracting new ones. “It is in a dense location; the Central West End already has a clutter of restaurants,” said Leah. “Parking is easier – there’s a lot designated for that space – and it’s close to a young demographic, to students.”
The menu in the city will be almost entirely raw – a bit different from the Chesterfield location where only about half of the items aren’t cooked. The new venue will be kosher, though, just like the Chesterfield resto. “We’ll have plenty more things incorporated into this location,” added Leah, noting that many new food items and beverages like healthy coffees and teas will be on the menu board. There will also be a room for private gatherings. Although details are still being finalized, the Menseys expect construction to be completed in time for a March opening, if not sooner.
Leah stated that a VegaDeli in the city likely means the end of VegaDeli grab-n-go kiosks. “That was more for convenience,” she noted. “We were at Golden Grocer in the Central West End and at Northwest Coffee in Clayton. Now with locations more easily accessible, we’re probably not going to continue those.”
Update: VegaDeli will open its location at 307 Belt Ave. in the Central West End March 21.
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2010.