Historical June 1997 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Most neighbors are no doubt aware that Redel’s Restaurant, a feature of our area since 1985. has closed its doors. Many of us will miss the convenience of only traveling a couple of blocks to dine out in pleasant surroundings.
In bidding good-bye to the restaurant, I asked co-owner Lee Redel if I could write about its history and his plans for the future. Redel was the manager of Balaban’s from 1979 to 1985.
In 1984, he had decided that he didn’t want to be in the restaurant business any longer.
However, Herb Balaban. the owner, convinced him to stay another year. Redel thought of going back to teaching school or perhaps getting involved in some form of public relations.
In early 1985, he gave two months’ notice. At the time, John Rice worked at what was then the Pasta House on DeBaliviere. Rice knew that that restaurant was going to close and wanted to open up a different type of restaurant at the location.
He approached Redel for whom he had once worked. Redel hesitated and took a little time to travel to 8 or 9 cities.
He looked at restaurants in these cities and came away with a concept of a restaurant that could appeal to all people, small people and adults.
He saw a restaurant in San Francisco with crayons on the table and drawings on the wall and watched business people coloring during their lunches.
He liked the Idea of tables covered in paper; it seemed clean, tidy, and European.
He decided to transport this idea to the new restaurant, using fat crayons and a specific place to hang drawings. Redel and Rice decided to offer both little meals and fine meals.
A pizza oven was already present on the premises and they could prepare gourmet pizza. Rice had studied architecture and selected a look that utilized from the post-modern to art deco.
They contacted local galleries and asked them to hang art on the restaurant wails on a rotating basis.
This eventually grew to having the work of 8 artists displayed at any given time. Rice also began to collect antique radios which filled the nooks at Redel’s. Redel said that 12 years ago there weren’t many places that offered what this restaurant did.
It was busy from the moment it opened its doors. Helen Dancy was the kitchen manager from day one and helped to prepare many of the special dishes at the restaurant. (She is now at Almond’s in Clayton.) As the restaurant’s popularity grew and more management could be brought on, that allowed Redel to give to the community, a concept central to his philosophy.
He began by doing fundraisers and soon was working on some event every day.
He achieved great satisfaction from being part of so many committees.
His first solo effort was a benefit on behalf of the Variety Club, an Aerobethon. People sponsored others for every moment that did aerobics.
He worked with Diet Pepsi on this event and was pleased that he was able to raise $18,000 from this one activity.
He found out how easy it was to talk to people if you are sincere and the cause is worthy. Redel then began doing events for the AIDS Foundation that 500 to 1.000 people attended.
He learned the organizing aspect and how to work with volunteers, as well as what worked and what did not.
He learned whom he could call on for donations. That is more difficult to do today because there are so many more fund-raising events.
The more Redel did, the more he was asked to do.
He focused on charities of the heart that helped people in real need or crisis. And, he enjoyed not focusing on just one organization.
He continued to work with the Variety Club, various AIDS organizations, and children’s agencies such as the Boys Club of Missouri and Girls Inc as well as Jewish Hospital.
He has helped the Crisis Nursery of Deaconess Hospital which assists kids from birth to age 9 and has raised funds for various food pantries.
These experiences have shown Redel how many people need help from the community.
If people can’t help by donating money, they can help by volunteering their time.
They can make telephone call or work at events. “All you have to do is make a call to a that did aerobics.
He worked with Diet few organizations. You can find one you can relate to.” Right now Redel is working on an event for the Wellness Community which came to St. Louis 4 years ago.
He was part of the original planning meeting.
The Wellness Community offers services free of charge to cancer victims and their families and helps them to live with the disease.
It costs $300,000 a year to operate.
There will be a fund-raiser on June 13 at Grant’s Farm. Redel feels that operating his restaurant “gobbled” him up.
It was an every day job with a large staff.
The fire at the restaurant four years ago was a turning point for him.
They lost 75% of their employees while they rebuilt.
They pushed themselves to open within 3 months but they really weren’t capable “of handling all the customers that arrived when they reopened.
The crush continued for weeks.
There were 35 new employees and it was very hard to handle the onslaught.
It was a great acknowledgment for them but he felt they could not handle the clients the way they used to.
He was back to working 80- 90 hours a week and he decided that he would have to leave the restaurant business in the next few years.
His heart wasn’t in it anymore.
He continued working with event planning and that was his release. Redel wanted to walk away in such a manner that he could find jobs for everyone on his staff and owe no money. And, that happened this year.
He gave everyone 10 weeks notice and all of the employees have new positions to their liking to the best of his knowledge.
When they decided to close, there were 43 staffers; on their last day there were 19 and people worked double and triple shifts.
He couldn’t pass up having an event as their finale.
The last two days after the official dosing they raised money for AIDS organizations and Food Outreach.
Some of the famous crayon drawings were sold for $1000. Redel told me that the phone he maintained for restaurant patrons had a box by it and asked users to donate 25 cents.
Each year the proceeds would go to a particular charity and that raised $1000 per year for various causes such as Stella Maris, St. Louis Food Bank, the AIDS Foundation, Food Outreach, etc. Redel will continue to work on events and may become an events planner.
He is excited about plans for an event in the Fall of 1998. “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine” for the AIDS Foundation of St. Louis. Drawings used to make this Beatles movie will be auctioned off; they were donated by Herb and Adelaide Balaban. Redel also plans to travel, visit with friends, learn to relax, and to read.
For the first time in 18 years he was able to take his mother out on Mother’s Day. Redel’s of course will be missed— for its convenience, for its range of fare, for many good times. And for good deeds too. Lee Redel will not be idle and his fondest wish is that more people would join him in volunteering in our community.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, June 1997.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed “that did aerobics.He worked with Diet” fragment repeats inside late quotation; source duplication retained.
Original source: SD_Times1997_06.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
