Steve’s Hot Dogs and Fountain on Locust spinoff to open in Maker’s Locale in Delmar Maker District in fall 2023

Steve’s Hot Dogs and The Fountain off Locust ­– a spinoff of The Fountain on Locust – will open this fall at Maker’s Locale, a new event and dining complex located at 5232 Delmar Blvd. in the Delmar Maker District. The two venues will join Alpha Brewing Co., which will open a 2,500-square-foot distillery and tasting room at Maker’s Locale. 

In addition to Steve’s Hot Dogs, The Fountain Off Locust and Alpha Brewing Co., Maker’s Locale will also be home to a 2,300-square-foot event space as an extension of Third Degree Glass Factory. The complex will also include an 8,000-square-foot outdoor space and beer garden, with seating shared among the tenants. 

Danni Eickenhorst, co-owner of Steve’s Hot Dogs and owner of The Fountain on Locust, said the Steve’s Hot Dogs space measures around 2,200 square feet, with capacity for an estimated 45 to 50 diners. Eickenhorst said the counter service restaurant will offer a selection of favorites from Steve’s Hot Dogs’ South Grand location, including G+W all-beef sausages and brats, as well as vegan and vegetarian options.

The Fountain Off Locust will move into a 1,800-square-foot space seating around 38 to 40 guests. The menu will focus on the desserts and cocktails that The Fountain on Locust has made its signatures. “It’s going to be essentially a taste of what you would get if you went to The Fountain on Locust in Midtown Alley,” Eickenhorst said. “We're going to have our greatest hits of our ice cream martinis, our giant ice cream sundaes, we'll have coffees, lattes and baked goods there. We'll have our retro cocktail menu featured there. And then if you want our soups, salads, sandwiches and things like that, you can go to The Fountain on Locust in Midtown to get the rest of the menu.”

Joy Grdnic, the original owner of The Fountain on Locust, will assist with the interior design to imbue The Fountain Off Locust with the same art deco style as its older sibling. “We’re going to work with makers there in the Maker District to build out all the different art deco elements,” Eickenhorst said. And in keeping with the “makers” theme, each of the new spaces will be designed to give customers a glimpse into the processes behind the scenes. “The feature within the space will actually be the big wooden bar like you experience if you come to The Fountain on Locust, where everybody gathers around and watches the show with the ice cream cocktails being made – we’ll have the same focal point,” Eickenhorst said. 

Other venues that are part of the Delmar Maker District include Craft Alliance, Made Makerspace, The Magic House at Made, and Brew Tulum Specialty Coffee Experience. The Kitchen Sink will also be opening in the district in summer 2023. 

“For so much of my life, I’ve driven past this area and haven’t had a reason to stop. I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of this reinvention of Delmar, building on the momentum happening here in the Maker District,” said Steve’s Hot Dogs co-owner Steve Ewing in a statement. “This is a historic moment in the history of that area, as so many people are working to bring people together along Delmar in new ways.”

“We’re thankful to have been sought out for this project,” Eickenhorst said in a statement. “This is not only an amazing opportunity for both of our concepts to expand, but it’s also a great way to put the history of St. Louis on display. Both ice cream and hot dogs have shared history rooted in the St. Louis World’s Fair, held just blocks from the Makers Locale in Forest Park.” Danni Eickenhorst, Steve Ewing and Marcus Eickenhorst recently announced they have formed a hospitality group, Hustl Hospitality Group. The Fountain on Locust, Steve’s Hot Dogs, The Fountain Off Locust and the recently launched ghost kitchen concept Steve’s Meltdown will all operate under the group’s umbrella.