Twin City-area diners soon will have two new restaurant options.
Jeff Kettelhut says he intends to debut his Kettelhut’s Smokehouse sometime in August at 1267 N. Truman Blvd. in Crystal City, where the Cinco de Mayo restaurant used to operate.
In addition, a Pasta House restaurant under construction in Festus is expected to open in September, said one of the owners, Don Bolinger.
Kettelhut said his restaurant will serve a full slate of barbecue, including pork steaks.
“I would describe Kettelhut’s Smokehouse as a full-service barbecue restaurant having a blues theme to it,” he said. “We’ll play blues music over our stereo system and at some point we look to have live music. We’re going to be a little bit different than St. Louis barbecue restaurants in that our sauce is more along the lines of a Memphis-style sauce, with a little bit more spice and flare. We’ve created our own sauces, such as a bourbon rib sauce.”
Kettelhut said he is shifting careers from working as a pharmacist to restaurateur and will run the restaurant, along with his wife, Casey, 27, and her mother, Bobbie Harris, 47, of Bloomsdale.
“They wanted to have a restaurant for a long time and have worked in the food business most of their lives,” he said. “I have been a barbecue restaurant manager and all the barbecue recipes will be mine.”
Kettelhut said he is in the process of hiring 15 to 20 workers. His restaurant, which will have seating for 90 to 100, will offer carry-out.
Meanwhile, Bolinger hopes the long-anticipated opening of his Pasta House along Hwy. A on the western edge of Festus will take place in September.
Like Kettelhut, Bolinger said he did not wish to announce a specific opening date.
He and his partners are constructing a new building for the restaurant to join the regional Pasta House chain.
“Construction is going really well,” Bolinger said.
Bolinger and his wife, Rhiannon, of Festus are partners in the project with Buddy and Nicki Fresta of St. Louis. They are constructing the Pasta House on property next to the Bolingers’ existing business, ATG Sports, on Galemore Street near Pounds Road.
ATG Sports sells and installs RamTurf, a type of artificial turf for athletic fields.
The Bolingers and Frestas also co-own a Pasta House in Union.