By Astrid Zeppenfeld
Ask anyone in the Greater St. Louis area about The Cheshire Inn and you will indubitably hear something to the effect of: “My grandparents/aunt and uncle/sister/cousin/etc. got married there!” That is because this iconic landmark at the corner of Clayton Road and Forest Park is turning 100 this year!
It all began as a simple hamburger joint. The Medart’s burger, named after the owner of the hamburger stand, became a legendary St. Louis classic in the 1930s known for its unique preparation. The little hamburger stand evolved into a Tudor-style restaurant and tavern. In 1960, Steve Apted’s family bought it from the William S. Medart estate and Apted remodeled it and renamed the restaurant The Cheshire Inn. The 110-room Cheshire Lodge was added five years later.
Fast forward to the year 2011. Lodging Hospitality Management — a company renowned for buying iconic St. Louis properties that are in dire need of re-imagination and remodeling them into something even bigger and better than they’ve ever been before — bought the property and, after extensive renovation, The Cheshire emerged as the sought-after boutique hotel and meeting and event venue it is now.
At the far end of the lobby with its quintessential British décor is a smaller meeting room which is ideal for small board meetings or other intimate gatherings. It is located in close proximity to
Fox and Hounds Tavern, which is a favorite gathering place after a long day of meetings or for locals to grab delicious pub fare or enjoy a drink. Its cozy atmosphere is ascribed to the establishment resembling the place in a noble English household, where guests invited to a fox hunt might gather before and after the event. It’s a little bit of England… right in St. Louis, Missouri.
Basso, The Cheshire’s lower-level Italian restaurant featuring fine Italian cuisine and pasta made in-house, offers a mouthwatering alternative to Fox and Hounds Tavern. Todd Hotaling, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Lodging Hospitality Management, discloses, “Basso is very popular in St. Louis and wins a lot of awards.”
Boundary is the main gathering place for big meetings and events at The Cheshire. It is in this building where upscale design meets old-world charm in an elegant setting. There is a total of 6,829 square feet of event space spread out over what is essentially two separate areas: Boundary on the lower level and The Upstairs, which includes a 768-square-foot fireplace room for breakout sessions. Desiree Drury, Co-Owner and Wedding Coordinator at Something Blue, has planned and executed weddings at The Cheshire, utilizing Boundary for the ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour. “There are unique spaces for any gathering,” Drury explains. “Typically, the ceremony is upstairs, and the altar is set up under the brick arched wall. When you go down the side staircase, you arrive at the bar area where usually the cocktail hour is being held. From there, guests go back upstairs passing through the Red Room for the reception.”
The Red Room is a unique private room at Boundary, hidden behind sliding barn doors, which can accommodate 40 to 50 people for a seated event or 70 people for a reception-style event. This particular space is often used for breakout sessions at a corporate meeting or event.
Drury adds, “It is all connected and we can use the entire building with all its unique spaces over the course of the event. And out-of-town guests as well as the bridal party can all stay on-site in the beautiful rooms at The Cheshire.” The food at Boundary is often described as “upscale American”, but Drury offers a description that possibly more people can relate to. She sums up, “The food is very flavorful; it definitely is not standard wedding food, like boring chicken and bland vegetables.”
“We’re looking for people to share stories about the property. There are so many rich stories with The Cheshire and its history here in St. Louis. We want to celebrate that because it is significant that we renovated this historical St. Louis icon,” Hotaling declares. “It’s something that the whole community should celebrate that it is doing so well as a hotel restaurant venue after 100 years.”
To submit a story, email cheers@cheshirestl.com.
MEET
Astrid Zeppenfeld is MEET Magazines’ Senior Editor from St. Louis.
Contact Information:
Andrea Breeden
Director of Sales
The Cheshire St. Louis
abreeden@lhmchotels.com
(314) 932-7858
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
