Golden Gems will open Hidden Gem cocktail bar in Midtown St. Louis this fall

The sisters behind St. Louis lifestyle brand Golden Gems will open a cocktail bar they’re calling Hidden Gem in Midtown this fall. Slated for a late October launch, the bar will be located at 3118 Locust St., just two doors away from one of Golden Gems’ three retail stores.

Co-owners Susan Logsdon and Amanda Helman have been “dreaming about possibly opening up a bar and never really thinking that it would happen” for a number of years, Logsdon said. However, over the past year, the stars aligned for the duo, with a suitable space becoming available near their store at 3108 Locust St. in Midtown. Logsdon and Helman have been working on the 3,500-square-foot space since January 2023, and work is in progress on realizing their vision for Hidden Gem. Construction permitting, the aim is to be open by late October.

An Instagram post announcing plans for the bar promised a “disco meets dive bar” vibe, with disco balls aplenty. Logsdon said Hidden Gem will be true to the expressive, bold and colorful aesthetic that Golden Gems has become known for, combined with a 1970s-inspired feel – “more sepia toned, if you will,” Logsdon said. Most importantly, it’s designed to be a place that the sisters and Golden Gems customers would want to hang out in. “We love our neighborhood dive bars, those are a big inspiration, but, as women, sometimes those places don’t necessarily feel safe,” Logsdon said. “So, it’s trying to think of a way that we can bring what Golden Gems is all about, which is creating safe spaces, inclusivity and living unapologetically, to a bar atmosphere.”

Customers can expect cocktails that are fun, reasonably priced and “thoughtful but simple,” Logsdon said. Keeping up the dive bar promise, Hidden Gem will have beers on draft, with affordability a priority. While the space doesn’t have a full kitchen, Logsdon said Hidden Gem will offer a food component with late-night eats.

The bar will accommodate around 140 customers, with a combination of intimate seating areas and a more open central space which could be used as a dance floor or a space for hosting a range of events. “It’s definitely not a night club, but I can see us hosting a karaoke or bingo,” Logsdon said. As a conscious extension of the Golden Gems brand, the bar will also give Logsdon and Helman a space for hosting events beyond what they could do in their retail stores.

Logsdon said the plan is for Hidden Gem to be open in the evenings from Tuesday to Sunday, though they’ve not settled on opening hours at this stage. Follow Hidden Gem on Instagram for the latest updates.