An owner of Smitty’s Food & Drink said Monday they hope to open the new Maplewood location in two to three weeks. Smitty’s is moving into the current Pizza Story spot at 7278 Manchester Road.
Co-owner Jim Quicksilver said closing is April 15. “We’ll be done with this long arduous process,” he said. “Our plan is to try and limit the amount of time we’re closed. We’re hoping to open in two to three weeks.”
He said the plan is to be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
“I’ll be excited to be finally done with that and doing what I want to do, which is opening up a Smitty’s,” Quicksilver said. The original Smitty’s opened in Chesterfield about 30 years ago.
The menu includes appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, fish, pasta, steaks, ribs and hamburgers, with specials.
The new owners met with the Pizza Story owners and employees Friday afternoon in the restaurant.
“That was our first chance in this process to sit down and meet some of the employees and find out who was staying and who was leaving,” Quicksilver said. He said there were some surprises.
Quicksilver said he can’t say enough kind things about working with the city of Maplewood. “They’ve been fabulous. They’ve gone out of their way to help me every step of the way,” he said.
This should be a nice addition for families who have grown tired of the menu (and prices) at the Bottleworks but still want to walk to dinner with the kids. Or for folks who want to order some regular Midwestern comfort food. And they will still have the pizza — hopefully with the ability to order a regular ol’ pepperoni pizza. Plus, apparently the fried chicken is apparently legendary out in WestCo.
Big screens, fried food, generic decor. Bring back Pizza Story!
10-15 years ago when Maplewood was eager for any kind of development this would have made more sense but now this place seems out of step with the direction that Maplewood is going towards.
Smitty’s has a dive bar/sports bar type feel with burgers and a deep fried menu. What are they going to bring as a sports bar that isn’t already done by the Post? What are they going to bring as a dive bar that isn’t already done by Colombo’s or the Crow’s Nest?
It’s a shame that Pizza Story couldn’t make it. Their food was high quality and something different. Smitty’s is a Mike Duffy’s clone.
I think Smitty’s will be a fine addition to the nabe. I would prefer something more unique perhaps, but it is a practical addiiton. There are plenty of times when the Post is packed and this gives another option for a family friendly reasonably priced joint. I dont know, but I would bet it will have a Weber’s (in Wesbter) type feel to it.
Smitty’s food is good……if they have great service they will pack ’em in down here in Maplewood. Good luck to the owners.
Blah. I am so, so disappointed in the loss of Pizza Story, a truly great spot with lovely owners and staff. I will miss the terrific pizzas, salads and appetizers. I’m not excited for yet another pub in Maplewood.
We’ve been trying to go as often as possible to Pizza Story before it’s gone. Not only is the pizza superior, but their whole pantry is good quality and the menu correspondingly tasty. It’s alarming to think it could be replaced by something far more generic. Will the new place preserve some of the old pizza formula? We’ll see.
Previous articles here have said the Smitty’s owner will keep the pizza oven and bought the dough recipe.
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