ST. LOUIS — The phrase “bucket list” usually means places to go or things to do before you leave Earth. But the words are taking on new meaning in St. Louis.
The Eat Rite Diner in downtown St. Louis was probably a bucket list item for people in the area. It now sits empty with the windows boarded up.
“It’s truly heartbreaking,” Lucas Farrell told 5 On Your Side.
Sadly, Eat Rite isn’t the only place breaking hearts.
“There’s a lot of other businesses that are in that same boat. They’re holding up by a thread,” said Farrell.
Farrell is on a mission to give those struggling businesses something to hold on to with the help of his social media account, STL Bucket List.
“I think of social media as a digital billboard,” he said.
He set it up originally on Instagram to post his favorite eats and showcase his favorite places.
“A lot of people want to see great pics of the city,” he said. “Everything that really makes St. Louis great.”
It was during those photo adventures that he met the people behind the scenes.
“I’ve been able to dig into the people of the city. It’s truly inspiring,” he said.
The encounters allowed him to learn how businesses came to be.
“How they built their brand or built their business,” he said. “Hearing the success stories, a lot of people in this city came from nothing.”
He hopes the STL Bucket List can keep those business from kicking the bucket by showing them off on Instagram.
“From me sharing people’s work on social media, it made a huge impact on their social media,” he said.
It introduces them to a new audience of customers.
“It just helps them grow and stay relevant,” he said.
Farrell’s account has grown since he started it. He now has a community of digital partnerships and nearly 35,000 followers looking to make a difference.
“Large creative platform where I share other photographers, other local businesses and basically supporting local in general,” he said.
He has a lot of hope in those snapshots.
“A picture is worth a million words,” he said.
It doesn’t cost thing to get posted on his account. He said use the hashtag #stlbucketlist and if he loves it, he’ll post it. You can learn more by visiting the STL Bucket List website.