By David Bailey, Proprietor
We all know that food is a basic necessity, but we often lose sight of its importance in creating social bonds, social well being, and social stability. Growing communities through social events and gatherings is also very important to us. For example, over the last three years alone, we have raised more than $45,000 through our Community Table efforts at Baileys’ Range and our annual Beer Festival, Schurcipefones. The money raised during these various events supports local charities and nonprofits.
At all of the Baileys’ Restaurants, we have been working to bring the best foods we can to as many people in St. Louis as we can. We believe that food is still what bonds us all, so we serve the best, including: grass-fed, Missouri-raised beef and bison, pasture-raised pork from our local farmer and friend Todd Geisert, and cage-free brown eggs from Good Earth Farms. Our restaurants all strive to bring the best food to all, not just the few.
Everything from burgers to vegetarian fare and desserts to breakfast–eating well and eating local has been an important part of what we’ve offered from day one. With humble beginnings and a tiny staff at Baileys’ Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square, we now have a family of seven restaurants and more than 325 employees. This staff includes our own bakers, butchers, and batch cooks, allowing us to do things like whole-animal butchery and buying flour by the truckload. This economy of scale not only creates jobs, it lessens environmental impact.
Now we are excited to announce our newest step in this process: our first micro-farm. This Spring, we will be turning an urban lot in St. Louis City into a farm. We will start to grow everything from heirloom tomatoes to purple sweet potatoes with a large focus on a variety of herbs. Our own farmers and chefs will now have the opportunity to truly create a farm to table meal. This sustainability model will go beyond growing foods for the restaurants. We will be turning restaurant food waste into compost, vegetable scraps into chicken feed, and packing materials into pots and raised beds. Growing flowers for the Baileys’ Restaurants will eliminate our reliance on long-distance imports.
This is one more step in our commitment to our city of St. Louis and our neighbors. Much like you and many of our neighbors, we already compost and recycle, we already value our natural resources, and we will continue to build and develop new relationships in St. Louis!
For more information about Baileys Restaurants, visit www.baileysrestaurants.com.