Taytro’s, the tiny but popular Cajun eatery in Festus, will soon have a new location.
It’s moving right next door to the much larger space that used to house a Ryan’s Steakhouse and later a Hibachi Grill buffet.
“A lot of times, when a restaurant moves, even just across town, they can lose business because people don’t know how to find them,” said manager Luke Tetrault, one of the owners. “We’re not moving, really. People can find us right where we always were, just with a lot more space.”
Taytro’s is expected to relocate from its current spot at 343 Creek Dr. to the new location on the corner of Mill St. and Veterans Blvd. before the end of the year, said Steve Tetrault, Luke’s father and another one of the owners.
“Of course, you can’t make any promises,” Steve said. “We are getting ready to hire a contractor, but we will do a lot of the work ourselves.”
The Tetrault family, which includes Steve’s daughter and Luke’s sister, Leigh, and Steve’s wife, Lynn, all of Festus, owns and operates Taytro’s in a 2,500 storefront space. The new location is 11,000 square feet.
The Tetraults recently purchased the old Ryan’s Steakhouse building, which was built in 2000. It’s just east of the restaurant’s current location, and the family plans to open a new banquet center alongside a larger restaurant and bar there.
The current Taytro’s restaurant, which opened in 2010, shares a 40-space parking lot with two other businesses. The new building sits on a 3-acre tract with 160 parking spaces.
The Tetraults plan to renovate the interior but won’t make any substantial structural changes.
“They built a great building,” Luke said, looking over a set of original blueprints unearthed when he was cleaning out a storage area.
The kitchen area will be rearranged and updated, and the building’s exterior spruced up with a subtle but recognizable Mardi Gras theme.
“When people drive by, they’re going to know it’s Taytro’s,” Luke said.
Plans call for the main section of the restaurant to be divided, with one side containing a large bar area with more than 20 beers on tap, a seating area nearly twice the size of the current one, a raised stage area and several small rooms that can be used for private events or group dining.
Doors in the eastern wall of the building will lead to a large patio. The other side of the building will house the banquet center, with seating for about 150, and will be equipped with a portable stage and sound system. Plans also call for a large door between the two sides of the building that can be opened to combine the two spaces when desired.
The added space will be welcome for the restaurant, which often has a line of people waiting for a table, Steve said.
“Right now, on Friday and Saturday nights, we have problems seating more than a few people at a time,” he said. “With the new patio, you can call and say you have a party of six or eight and we can set you up out there with no problem.
“Rather than going all the way out to one of the wineries, people can come here and sit and have a drink and enjoy themselves.”
The additional space will mean expansion is possible for the family’s catering business.
“We will be adding a banquet menu, and expanding the catering (menu) a little,” Steve said. “But we don’t plan to expand the regular menu too much.”
His son agreed.
“At any restaurant, there’s always a certain evolution in the menu, no matter what,” Luke said. “We will make some subtle changes, add some seasonal items or some specials, but basically, if it ain’t broke, there’s no reason to fix it.”
Between the restaurant, the catering business and the other restaurant they own, Petit Paree in Festus, the family employs about 60 people.
“We’re probably looking to hire about 20 more,” Luke said. “And we will need everything – chefs, bartenders, servers, hosts, bussers and dishwashers and catering help.”
Once the move is complete, the family plans to expand its offerings.
“We hope to have live music a lot more,” Luke said. “And we can do outdoor events, festivals like Mardi Gras.
“We will be set up for any event you need space for.”
Luke Tetrault
