For a couple of years serial entrepreneur Beth Styles, below, recognized a need for a kitchen store in the City of St. Louis. The idea became a reality through the small business community and a friendship with Jesse Mueller, the proprietor of Rise Coffee House in The Grove. When Mueller decided to move Rise from 4180 Manchester Ave. to a larger space in a building she also owns one door east, she asked Beth and her husband Colin if they’d like to open their kitchen shop in the newly-vacated space.
Over a six day period last November, Beth and Colin flipped the former coffee bar into Lemon Gem, a charming kitchenware shop which has been perking along quite nicely since opening day.
Styles also owns Parsimonia, a vintage clothing shop located at 3194 S. Grand Ave. Some of you will remember her charming little trailer filled with vintage finds that she parked at the CWE Flea in years past.
While Styles was dreaming about how she would stock the shop she hoped to open, she visited kitchen stores all over the country to get ideas. In addition, she compiled lists of “must-haves” from top chefs. Now that Lemon Gem (named after a variety of marigold) is open, Styles said she has been pleasantly surprised by the response, including many customers from the immediate neighborhood as well as the CWE and the County. The shop has been featured on Show Me St. Louis and both Sauce and Feast online.
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just getting into cooking, you’ll find a great selection of basics and some wonderful surprises too in the well-organized shop.
Short Stack Editions cookbooks, $14, have been wildly popular – so much so that Styles has reordered them 4 times. The recipes in 25 single-subject books (ginger, brown sugar, tahini, for instance) incorporate that one ingredient in each of 20 recipes. The Brooklyn-based company releases a new book every two months.
Left: A children’s cooking section features Skinny La Minx mini-aprons made by a textile maker in South Africa, $28. Kid-size rolling pins are $4.99, spatulas, $1.25, tiny whisks, $4.99, and mini muffin, loaf and bundt pans are $6.99. Cookie cutters, top, are made in the U.S. $1.99.
Right: OΛEA olive oil, $17.99, is owned by St. Louis-based Chronis Family which has produced olive oil in Greece since 1850.
Left: Eco-friendly cutting boards partially made of recycled paper are $19.99, bowls (top shelf) are $29.99. Black cutting boards partially made of recycled glass are $19.99.
Right: top: Lemon Gem stocks a Cuisinart mixer, $29.99, and Good Grips Scale, $49.99. Bottom: U.S.-made heavy bakeware range from $15.95 to $35.95 for springform pan.
I asked whether Lemon Gem had a wedding/gift registry and Styles said many people have asked and she is working on making that happen.
Top: Rose gold Pinky Up teapots are $32.99. Bottom: Conscious Apothecary Teas, $15, are blended by Katie Marquez, the manager of Lulu’s on South Grand.
Lemon Gem also features a small table with essential gizmos for cocktails at home.
And finally, Beth Styles stocks a few meri meri products including Make Your Own Valentine’s boxes, 24 messages, $14.50, cupcake kits, $13.50 and far right, birthday candles, $7.50.
Styles has pegged the upstairs space at Lemon Gem for events. There’s a wedding shower on the calendar, and on March 25 she’s collaborating with HEX-STL and We Eat Stuff STL on Instagram to host a photography class featuring drinks. Details have not been finalized but email ([email protected]) or call for information on this event or on hosting one of your own.
As Styles said when I dropped in to visit, “This shop came together during a perfect storm. When the building became available I could immediately picture Lemon Gem here, and Parsimonia was in just the right place to take on a second business.” When you stop in, you’ll be so glad she took the plunge.
Lemon Gem, Provisions for Hearth & Home, 4180 Manchester Ave., (314) 696-2744. Tues. – Sat. 10 to 6, Sun. 12 to 5.