ST. LOUIS — A longtime downtown St. Louis restaurant is moving to St. Louis County.
Tony’s announced it’ll move from downtown to Clayton. It has been in downtown since 1946 and known as one of the city’s best restaurants.
On Tuesday, the owner of Tony’s received approval from the Clayton Board of Aldermen to move to Clayton. The board approved a “conditional use permit” to open up at 7620 Forsyth Boulevard, in Centene Plaza, once construction is completed.
Operator James Bommarito said most of the restaurant’s guests live "west of Forest Park."
“The shutdown of the highway for two years - back in 2008 was extremely burdensome to our business and many many others,” he said.
In December 2019, the St. Louis Business Journal reported that the restaurant was looking to leave downtown.
The downtown location will reopen once St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson gives the OK.
The restaurant’s move to Clayton will be between November and January, Bommarito said.
Prior to Tony's, the Bommarito family had St. Louis’ first Italian bakery, which was at 7th and Carr Streets. The family also operated a spaghetti factory at 10th and Carr. Tony’s was created by Anthony Bommarito in 1946. It was a small cafe back then and by the early 1950s it was called Tony’s Steak House.
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