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By Glen Sparks
Jim Schneithorst Jr. rattles off some of the jobs he did at the old Hofamberg Inn. He waited on tables; he did a little cooking; he put in his share of shifts in the stockroom. He likes to forget about all the dishes he scrubbed.
“You name it, I did it,” says Schneithorst, who was promoted to manager of his family’s restaurant in 1994 and to president in 1998.
By the spring of 2002, the Hofamberg had fallen victim to age and, ultimately, a wrecking ball. That didn’t stop Schneithorst, 36, from keeping busy at the corner of S. Lindbergh Boulevard and Clayton Road in Ladue. He is overseeing construction of a combination office and retail space at the site of the former inn. The “Village at Schneithorst” is scheduled to open later this year.
The $9 million mixed-use development will feature 20,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor, and 15,000 square feet of office space on the second floor. There will be a 55,000-square-foot underground parking garage and 128 surface parking spaces. Thirty percent of the surface area will be devoted to green space.
Some of the retail businesses under contract include National City Bank, LeNails, DeNovo Salon and Spa and the upscale ice cream shop, Coldstone Creamery. Ultimately, about nine tenants should be able to fit comfortably on the first floor. The typical store will be about 1,400 square feet.
 (Left to right): Job Site Supervisor Richard Dickinson, of Hensley Construction Co., discusses plans for the Village at Schneithorst with Jim Schneithorst Jr. |
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The second floor will feature a brokerage house and the new headquarters of Stout Marketing. There will be room for probably three other tenants. The brokerage house will take up about 65 percent of the second floor.
Across the street from the development is the always busy Plaza Frontenac. Several other small shopping places are nearby. The traffic count is high and so is the average residential income. As a bonus, Highway 40 is just a few blocks away.
“It didn’t take too much hard thinking or rocket science to figure out that a retail area would be a natural fit for this location,” Schneithorst says. “The demographics here are just incredible. Plus, with Highway 40, we’re about 15 minutes from most of the metropolitan area. I really think we’re taking this site to the highest level.”
 (left to right): Jim Schneithorst Sr. and his father Arthur Schneithorst operated the restaurant together
until 1994. |
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Because of the strict zoning regulations in Ladue, and because the site is relatively small, Schneithorst says he did not consider a combination retail, office and residential development, similar to The Boulevard project that is under construction across from the Galleria, near Interstate 170 and Highway 40. Schneithorst visited several developments across the country, including Dallas and Scottsdale, Ariz., to get an idea of what he wanted for the property.
He hired Hensley Construction Inc. as the general contractor and Mitchell Hugeback as the architect. The Village at Schneithorst will borrow some of the elements from the Hofamberg, including a clock tower and
turret. The roof will be tile, another feature reminiscent of days past.
The new brick and stucco development will merge with the Kaffe Haus, Bierkeller lounge and outdoor Biergarten, which will all remain open. Space is renting for $40 a square foot for retail and $30 for office.
“We think this is a first-class development, but it isn’t going to be for everyone,” Schneithorst says. “Because of the rates that we are charging, we are more of a niche
development. If you look at the access and the visibility, though, you really can’t beat
this location.”
Back in 1956, the year that the Hofamberg Inn opened, Lindbergh and Clayton were out in the sticks. Arthur Schneithorst, Jim’s grandfather, founded the restaurant and wanted to serve tasty German cuisine, such as weiner schnitzel and sauerbraten. Dark woods, stained glass and hand-painted tile completed the old-world look of the Inn. Jim’s father,
Jim Schneithorst Sr., joined the business in 1964. Arthur and his son operated the restaurant until Arthur Schneithorst’s death in 1994. Jim Schneithorst Sr. retired in 2002.
During its glory days, the Hofamberg was open every day of the year except Christmas. It had two bars and three dining rooms on the first floor, and nine banquet facilities on the second floor. On a busy night, 120 workers could serve 2,500 patrons.
Over time, though, age began taking its toll. The heating and air conditioning system sometimes malfunctioned, and the plumbing needed upgrading. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, insurance rates skyrocketed on large establishments like the Hofamberg. Then there was the fact that schnitzel and sauerbraten weren’t considered part of a heart-healthy diet.
“The banquet facility did good business, but the restaurant struggled at times,” says Schneithorst, who grew up in Ladue and graduated from Whitfield School in St. Louis and Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. “There were still people who wanted to go out and eat German food, but there weren’t as many. Also, with the cost it would have taken to make the necessary repairs to the restaurants, it didn’t make any sense to do that.”
Schneithorst started in 2000 to look into possible future uses of the property, figuring that the end was near for the Hofamberg. Today, Schneithorst spends most of his time at the construction site. Colliers Turley Martin Tucker will manage the Village after construction is completed, which begs the question: What does Schneithorst, who has a degree in real estate and finance from SMU, plan to do in just a few short months?
| The Village at Schneithorst is scheduled to open later this year. |
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He thinks about it for a few seconds. “Hmmm,” he says. “I don’t know. I’ve been working here so much that I really haven’t had a chance to think about that. I guess I’m going to have to go out and get a job.”
Glen Sparks is a freelance writer based in St. Louis. |
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