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[SIDE DISH]
Chef Bill Kunz on Longevity in the Restaurant Biz Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
L
ooking back, Bill Kunz knew at an early age he was destined for the food business. His grandfather was a chef; so was his uncle. Holidays at his great-grandmother’s house were massive culinary expositions — and completely non-negotiable. On weekends, he’d go with his grandfather to Soulard Farmers’ Market, and every year, right before Thanksgiving, the two would go together to Mama Toscano’s Ravioli to make ravioli. Even his first ob, washing dishes and scrubbing oors at a bakery on the Hill, seemed to seal his fate. However, when it came time to make a career decision, Kunz had other plans. “I graduated from high school and went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, knowing I wasn’t going to be in the restaurant business,” Kunz says. “I wanted to be a professional football player and even played in college, but that didn’t work out. I saw that the University of Nevada, Las Vegas had a hotel and restaurant school and figured, ell hell. might as well become that.’” Now chef-owner of Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen (34 South Old Orchard Road, Webster Groves; 314-968-0061), it’s hard to imagine Kuntz choosing another path. His career has spanned roughly three decades and all different types of environments, and he has thrived every step of the
Bill Kunz is the chef-owner of Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen. | ANDY PAULISSEN way. His career began right out of college, when he was convinced to return to St. Louis thanks to an offer from the restaurant group that owns Houlihan’s. He started out at the est County location and eventually moved to the St. Louis Union Station property. At the time, it was one of the chain’s busiest locations in the country, and when he was asked to go from front-of-house management into the kitchen, he received quite an education. “I spent eight months there,” Kun recalls. “ e were a scratch kitchen, and I still have nightmares of working for one of the guys out there. However, I learned a ton from him.” After roughly five years working for Houlihan’s, Kunz was recruited by the Hyatt hotel operating at Union Station at the time. Hyatt was looking to get into the free-standing restaurant business, and they wanted him to run their restaurant, the Powerhouse. He did that for about a year and then left for Club iverport and eventually Hooters. Though he stayed
with the wing company for five years, he admits that it was not the sort of ob he wanted. “It sucked,” Kunz admits. “I helped them open estport, then became GM of [the] Union Station [location] and then area supervisor. I didn’t like it, and I realize it’s because I didn’t like being taken out of the day-to-day running of a restaurant. That’s what I loved.” Kunz left Hooters for an opportunity with a gaming development that took him to Dubuque, Iowa. There, he was tasked with redeveloping the food and beverage operations for a riverboat casino — an industry that was in its beginnings. The gig took him back to the St. Louis area, where the development group was opening Growler’s Pub, then to Miami for another gaming boat and finally back to rowler’s. e en oyed his time working for the organization, but when a friend approached him with an offer to get into the business in his own right, he realized it was the direction he wanted his career to take. heir first restaurant, rank and
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Patty’s, was a humble hamburger and hot-dog spot in Kirkwood. Though they believed in what they were doing, they had larger plans in mind — namely a large restaurant in Lafayette Square they would name Lafayette Town Hall. However, their plans were dashed when Kunz received a phone call that is every business owner’s worst nightmare. “ e were going to open on a ednesday in September, and a Friday right before, I got a phone call from one of our construction workers,” Kunz recalls. “He told me, urn on your — the building is on fire.’ here was a huge fire in a warehouse nearby, and two of the fiery canisters blew out of the warehouse, landed on our building and burned it to the ground. thought, So much for that.’” Kunz had no choice but to keep moving forward, so he and his partner purchased the building in ebster roves that would become Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen. Immediately, Kunz knew
FEBRUARY 12-18, 2020
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