Steve’s Hot Dogs will reopen Feb. 26 in Tower Grove East

After closing the doors of his eponymous restaurant on Feb. 1, owner Steve Ewing has big news regarding Steve’s Hot Dogs: it’s coming back.

Last month, Sauce reported Steve’s Hot Dogs would close at 4257 Magnolia Ave. Since that time, angel investor Danni Eickenhorst has partnered with Ewing, who will reopen the space Wednesday, Feb. 26 for dinner service.



Ewing said he and Eickenhorst have worked together in the past and that she was familiar with the business. “They’ve been involved with us over the years,” he said. “When we announced that we were going to close, I gave them a call, and they said, ‘What can we do to help?’”



Ewing said he was motivated to try to bring the business back after the community’s powerful response after his announcement that Steve’s Hot Dogs was closing.



“We had six days of lines out the door [before the final service], which was kind of an eye opener,” Ewing said. “It gave us an idea of how many people had been influenced or had had the food or were interested in the food. That kind of put in our minds that it was a good idea to keep it going.”



Ewing said before reopening, the restaurant had some debt to clear up and some licensing aspects to deal with. “We had to get back out of that hole,” he said. “We still have a few things to do.”

The restaurant will be open weekdays for dinner and weekends for lunch and dinner. As for the space and the menu, not much will change, Ewing said. Otherwise, he’s happy to remain in the same neighborhood and in the space he’s occupied for the past five years.

“We love the neighborhood. The neighborhood has always been supportive. The menu will have a few updates, a few new dogs. There’ll be a couple things that go away,” he said. “We’ll have all the staples that customers have loved over the years. The Gorilla Mac and Cheese will still be there. The Stormtrooper dog will be there. The Chicago dog, the chili dog ­– all the staples will still be there.”



The only significant change, in fact, will be something customers and fans of Ewing’s band The Urge will love. “You’ll probably see me more often,” he said.

Adam Rothbarth is the staff writer at Sauce Magazine.