ST. LOUIS — The Big Game is big business for bars. But for a Central West End staple, it was last call before closing the doors for the final time.
For the last 15 years, the West End Grill and Pub has been one of the shining lights of the Central West End.
“I love this place because it’s our neighborhood cheers,” said Vicki Wheeler.
Wheeler and her friends packed the pub on Super Bowl Sunday, but unfortunately, no one was celebrating.
“We could’ve closed quite frankly two years ago,” said owner William Roth.
Owner William Roth admits that attendance was often up and down.
“People don’t go out,” Roth said. “They’re afraid of getting COVID.”
“I helped them for a few years just coming in and trying to help out just to try and keep them open,” said Wheeler.
However, it was the rising costs of even the most basic supplies that eventually priced him out of business.
“A simple thing that you would have at a bar, chicken wings, are probably twice as much just to get chicken wings,” said Roth. “Beef has gone up. For a while it wasn’t that the cost has gone up, but that you couldn’t get it.”
“I don’t think he wanted the neighborhood to feel that,” Wheeler said. “A lot of our other places around here raised their prices quite a bit and we never felt that here.”
As the owner of the pub, Roth has a plan. Instead of closing the doors permanently, he’s going to rent the space out for private parties until he can find someone else to take over the space.
“We’ll meet for a drink where someone else is doing the work,” said Roth. “We’ll find a new way to get together. It won’t be here, but it will be somewhere. These are lifelong friends that we’ve made.”
“It’s been a great ride,” Wheeler said. “I’m sorry to see it go, but I understand.”
At this time the neighboring Gaslight Theatre will remain open.
The theatre currently shares restrooms and some amenities with the pub.