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Meet the family behind a St. Louis favorite, Trattoria Marcella

The Komoreks are no strangers to the restaurant business. Mary Caltrider chatted with the 3 siblings about how the iconic STL spot first started.

ST. LOUIS — The Komoreks sure do know the restaurant industry. 

“The 3 of us have been in the business…a lot,” says Stephen Komorek and Jamie Komorek,  Co-owners. 

Their decades of bussing tables dates all the way back to 1911 when their grandparents immigrated to St. Louis from Lebanon. 

“They started out doing plate lunches downtown for the factory workers.” 

Growing up working in their grandparents restaurant, Stephen, Jamie and their sister Christine mastered the hospitality space. But still, it was not until a drive back from Las Vegas nearly 33 years ago that they decided to take a leap of their own. 

Introducing Trattoria Marcella! 

“Every time I think about where I would like to go to eat, I would like to come here to eat,” says Christine Komorek.

Opened in 1995, the restaurant offers Italian soul food with a twist! Their menu includes spinach ziti, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza of all types, chicken soto, grilled lamb chops and even a wide variety of seafood! 

“People often ask us, if you are not Italian, how do you own an Italian restaurant. My first answer is love of good food, and my second is, I want to feed my family,” says Steve.  

Named after their mother, the establishment continues to be centered around family. Run by the 3 siblings with lots of cousins along the way. 

“Almost everyone out of my 36 first cousins has worked in one of the family restaurants,” says Christine.  

While it might be a place full of relatives, customers have grown to be their family, too. 

Plan your visit here. 

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