St. Louis business owners hope casino can change Laclede's Landing clientele

After opening his third local restaurant on Laclede's Landing last month, Munsok So feels he has millions of reasons to expect success, or 400 million to be exact.

As construction continues on Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.'s $400 million high-end casino and hotel complex nearby, business owners on the Landing are excited about the changes that the project may bring. Offering more than a casino, Pinnacle also plans to build high-end condominiums along with a luxury hotel that is expected to operate under the Four Seasons brand.

Business owners are hoping the project will help the area draw a clientele that is more local, mature and affluent than the current set of tourists, bachelor parties and late-night party seekers -- often younger than 25 -- who are currently the Landing's bread and butter.

"Everybody in St. Louis has the same preconceived notion of the Landing and I think it's time the Landing sort of grows up a little bit," said Tommy Gray, who owns bars in other parts of the city. In June, he opened up a restaurant, the Feisty Bulldog Bucket Shoppe and Billiards, and a nightclub called Throttle, both located at 720 North First Street.

So, owner of the Drunken Fish sushi restaurant chain, is among those hoping to capitalize on that potential change. The life-long St. Louisan opened his third area location at 612 North Second Street.

So said Drunken Fish's Asian fare will add to the diversity of dining options, drawing new clientele to the Landing.

He's so confident he invested more than $2 million to renovate the building he purchased. The location will feature a lounge in its basement when construction finishes by September.

"Hopefully, me coming down here contributes to what's going on overall downtown and on the Landing," So said. "You've got Pinnacle, Four Seasons, and Drunken Fish going down there and all of the sudden people are going to start looking at this area like, 'What's going on down there?'"

Local businesses are frustrated with the image of the Landing as a place for cheap drinks and carousing until the early morning hours.

At Morgan Street Brewery, owner Steve Owens banned bachelor parties six years ago. While Owens said it's important to increase the area's traffic, he and other business owners are concerned about controlling the Landing's image.

"You'd like to see more stuff on our riverfront, something a little more family friendly," Owens said.

Gray isn't necessarily targeting the same kind of clientele who will go the Drunken Fish. But he hopes a revamped riverfront will lead to improved business. That's why Gray has spent more than $1 million renovating his space on North First Street.

New businesses on the Landing also may validate the area for residential use, said John Clark, president of the Laclede's Landing Redevelopment Corp. He also is owner of the Jake's Steaks restaurant.

Clark expects the changes on the Landing will happen in much the same way as they have occurred on Washington Avenue -- as much with residential development as retail.

And future high-end residential development could spark even more change than even the casino project itself.

"Residents are not going to deal with screaming in the streets at 3 a.m.," Clark said. "They won't put up with anything but secure streets and a higher-end environment."

That change is what Clark says he and many of the other local business owners have been waiting for.

Still, some of the changes may not have to be dramatic to improve the Landing.

With the hope of increasing traffic, So is among the business owners who would like to see the Landing's cobblestone streets replaced with a more vehicle-friendly driving surface, such as brick.

With little retail space remaining in the neighborhood, the Laclede's Landing Merchants Association has been closely watching who moves in, said Meredyth Mller, the group's president and owner of the Big Bang and Study Hall, two bars on the Landing.

Mller said the association was pleased to welcome experienced entrepreneurs like Gray and So who are committed to the area.

"It's always been the goal to have responsible business owners down here that are interested in staying for the long term and attracting a diverse clientele," Mller said.

While most people think of restaurants and clubs when they think of the Landing, the area has been a great location for other types of businesses, Sharon Christopher said. She is vice president of AniMagic Productions Inc., a digital media studio that has been in the Landing since 2003.

Clients always know how to get to the area and parking is not an issue, she said.

Christopher thinks office space there may become more popular with coming developments as rental rates are relatively inexpensive. For example, AniMagic rents a 1,200-square-foot office at a competitive $1,200 per month.

"There needs to be some more improvements, certainly, but I think if people start living down here it will make a huge difference," Christopher said.