Another Saucy’s Pizzeria is coming to Jefferson County.
Billie Gibbons, 39, and her husband, Troy, 48, plan to open a Saucy’s in the building that used to house Jilly’s Cafe and Steakhouse in High Ridge, which closed in January 2022 after it was damaged by a fire.
The Gibbonses, who live in Hillsboro, hope to open the pizzeria by the end of April, but the building still needs a lot of work so there could be delays, Billie said.
She said she and her husband will lease the building at 1630 Gravois Road, and the owner, Randy Lorey, is renovating it.
“It was down to the studs,” Billie said. “The work is being done by the landlord, and I go by each week and check the progress.”
Billie said the pizzeria won’t use the entire space that Jilly’s once occupied. The landlord has divided off a part of the building for an office space.
The Gibbonses plan to have a dining room and bar, as well as a banquet room that can be rented out or used for extra dining, Billie said.
She said the main dining area will have seating for 60 to 70, and there will be more in the banquet room, but she’s not sure yet exactly how much.
“We’re going for a family atmosphere,” Billie said. “We’ll have a small game room for kids.”
The menu will be identical to the ones at the other Saucy’s locations, she said.
In addition to pizza, it will serve burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and more.
Billie said the restaurant will employ about 20 people.
Billie currently works at the Saucy’s in Hillsboro, and will leave that job when she and her husband open the Saucy’s franchise in High Ridge.
She said Shannon Crews and Tom Keightley own the Hillsboro location and another one in Cadet, as well as the Saucy’s brand.
Chris Vaughn owns a Saucy’s franchise in Arnold, and another franchisee has a location in Washington.
Billie said she previously worked as a parole officer, and three years ago took on a second job, working part time at the Saucy’s in Hillsboro. She liked it so much, she quit the parole officer job in November to work full time at the pizzeria.
Then, she said, she decided to take the plunge and open a franchise of her own.
“My job as a parole officer was very sad. There was nothing positive about it,” she said. “This was a positive experience. I was like, ‘Let’s try something new and be in a happy environment instead.’”
Billie said her husband works as a siding contractor.
“He will continue to do that and help me part time, but hopefully, if it goes well, maybe he’ll eventually do this full time, too.”
Billie said she thinks the old Jilly’s building is a good location for the new pizzeria.
“We (the Hillsboro location) deliver far out – to the House Springs and High Ridge area a ton. They don’t have a ton of pizza places there, so I think it will be good.”
The Gibbonses have two children between the two of them.
Billie said she’s eager to see the pizzeria up and running.
“I’m excited and nervous all at the same time,” she said.
Jilly’s opened in 2006, and Lisa and Danny Bundy of High Ridge owned it for four years before it closed last year.
