Twisted Ranch Will Move to CWE's Bar Louie Space

Twisted Ranch is the on the move — again.

St. Louis' infamous ranch-dressing-themed restaurant will be moving into the former home of Bar Louie in the Central West End, according to paperwork filed with the city's building department. Restaurateurs Jim Hayden and Chad Allen confirmed to St. Louis Magazine that they plan to close their current location in Soulard.

Bar Louie abruptly shuttered the Central West End space in January 2020, just two months before COVID-19 caused many, many other restaurants to do the same thing (temporarily and un-). The location was one of 38 to be closed across the U.S. as the chain filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

As for Twisted Ranch, the eatery opened on South Eighth Street in Soulard in 2015, but soon decamped for a place on South Seventh with a bigger kitchen. While the restaurant initially earned national headlines — and plenty of local handwringing — for its ranch obsession, it's found a place in the local dining scene by offering bar grub with a heavy ranch accent in a family-friendly atmosphere. The fact it's about to take over a 7,000-square-foot space in a relatively pricey neighborhood suggests business must be good.

One small wrinkle: The restaurateurs need approval from the city's Board of Adjustment before they can move in. The city's building commissioner denied their request for an occupancy permit, and they'll appeal the denial at a meeting December 14.

City spokesman Nick Dunne notes the denial was procedural; the way the city's zoning code is written, commercial operations need designated parking, even ones in highly walkable areas like the Central West End. The usual course is to get a denial and then get an exception from the Board of Adjustment — which we surmise is all but certain in this case.

The restaurant told St. Louis Magazine they plan to open in early 2023.

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