Two local chefs new to the Warrenton area are hoping to translate their success into new opportunities for foodies and future restaurant owners alike.
Chef Lee Gustin, owner of Blue Anchor …
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Two local chefs new to the Warrenton area are hoping to translate their success into new opportunities for foodies and future restaurant owners alike.
Chef Lee Gustin, owner of Blue Anchor Coffee and Bistro, and Maria Beyer, owner of Papu’s Cuban Cafe, are launching a series of cooking classes in downtown Warrenton. Their goal: To make people think local when they’re looking for high-quality food.
“It’s all about everyone coming up downtown. ... I want us all to succeed,” Gustin said. “We want to give the people of Warren County a chance to realize there’s great food (here).”
The first of the new classes for the food-curious was a combined demonstration with both chefs at Blue Anchor Saturday, Jan. 25. They showed around 35 participants how to prepare a six-part meal, with every dish including an ingredient purchased at the Maw Maw’s Cupboard store in downtown Warrenton.
“We want to work together to bring more people here. That’s our ultimate goal,” Beyer commented. “We’re going to be working together to promote and bring people downtown.”
The class participants, for their part, asked questions, joked and engaged with the chefs. They also got to enjoy prepared dishes of everything in the demo, from appetizer to dessert.
Going forward, future classes will often feature one of the chefs at their own restaurant. Beyer said the next program is Feb. 9 at Papu’s Cuban Cafe, and will be a hands-on class. That way, the participants get to enjoy the experience of making the food themselves.
The chefs are hoping these kinds of experiences will help people form a positive association with dining in Warrenton and Warren County. Right now, they said one of the challenges for local restaurants is that many people drive to Wentzville for “night out”-type dinners.
“It’s a habit. They don’t think, ‘Oh, let me check what’s out here in Warrenton,’ ” Beyer commented.
It will take some effort to turn around that mindset, but in the end they hope more new restaurants and other shops will be able to flourish in Warren County. Blue Anchor and Papu’s both opened in 2019.
Gustin and Beyer are exploring other options to celebrate the food of Warren County. Special events during community festivals, cooking competitions and regular social media content are some of the ideas they’ve kicked around to keep drawing attention.
“All these people complain that they don’t want their money spent in St. Charles County ... but they’re the first ones to run (to Wentzville) and go to Texas Roadhouse,” Gustin commented. Whether it’s a buffet, pastry shop or ethnic food restaurant, Gustin said he wants local people to know those can be found in their own hometown.
