Relish

It is now official: The foodservice vendor for the new and improved Saint Louis Art Museum will be Palo Alto-based Bon Appétit Management Co.

In a release dated today, SLAM announced that Bon Appétit will oversee both a 100-seat restaurant and a 60-seat cafe, both located in the new East Building, which has a Grand Opening scheduled for June 29, 2013. Bon Appétit will also manage the catered events in the original Main Building. The release noted that all the spaces are now available for private booking. (Email kristin.lamprecht@slam.org with inquiries.)  

Bon Appétit is no abecedarian: they currently operate 500 cafes in 32 states, according to the release, all of them with "scratch" kitchens. They also claim to be "a pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies," a tune now sung in most higher-end restaurant kitchens.

The 2500 SF restaurant (rendering at right) will overlook Forest Park, with hours mirroring the Museum's. Service will also be extended into Friday night. The menus for both the cafe and restaurant will be "unique and evolving," which in this case means integration with the Museum's exhibitions and collections, a similar policy to the one at Bixby's across the park at the Missouri History Museum.

In the release, Mark LaChance, the Regional VP of Bon Appétit, mentions that "we will be looking for an imaginative chef worthy of the compelling and diverse collection of art at the Saint Louis Art Museum..." and research has shown that Bon Appétit is not averse to hiring a local exec chef for such an endeavor. The local chef talent pool is currently fairly deep...we are guessing there are more than a few qualified individuals in the wings.       

Image above right courtesy of the Saint Louis Art Museum.