There was a celebratory atmosphere at the grand opening of A’Deans Kitchen and Vails Brothers Burgers, Shakes, and Fries when they launched their new eateries at Carter Commons in early August. The longtime restaurateurs behind the businesses—Kenneth Gregory II and Eric and Karen Vails, respectively—are industry veterans who have built a solid following despite some setbacks, and their fans came out to wish them well on their expansions.
They join two other establishments in the food hall, Adina’s Vegan Cuisine and The Drink House STL, in offering a variety of menu items and collaborating to create a welcoming environment at 6746 Page Ave. Here’s how each of the businesses evolved to reach their current success.
A’Deans Kitchen
After spending years looking for the right space for his growing food truck and catering business, Chef Kenneth Gregory II found the ideal kitchen—just five minutes from where he lives in the 24:1 Community.
With the opening of A’Deans Kitchen, Gregory now has a brick-and-mortar location with plenty of space for prep and storage for catering clients like high school sports teams and weddings. As a bonus, the food hall offers a perfect environment for menu tastings with prospective clients.
“We’re getting good feedback about the food too,” Gregory said. In particular, word is spreading about A’Deans tripe, a dish that is becoming harder to find at local restaurants. “Tripe is our biggest seller,” he said. “It’s most popular with folks age 40 and older because they grew up on it.”
Gregory still operates the food truck regularly, making stops at Montrey’s Cigar Lounge, car shows, churches, and events like the Taste of Black St. Louis and the Forest Park Balloon Glow. In the fall, when food truck business slows down, catering and concessions business picks up. He works with school districts such as Pattonville and Jennings to operate their food concessions at games and feed their athletes healthy pre-game meals.
Gregory described Eric Vails as one of his mentors in the culinary industry. “Whenever I have a question about the business, he’s the first person I call,” he said. “He’s like a big brother, right there first hand whenever I need him.”
Gregory can also draw on deep industry experience in his own right. He attended L’Ecole Culinaire in St. Louis after working on a barbecue food truck as a teenager. Upon graduation from culinary school in 2012, he worked at the Missouri Athletic Club—but the desire to open his own food truck was always strong, and he shifted gears to work at the famed Eat Rite Diner while saving up to purchase and then stock the truck he bought in 2018, which would become A’Deans Kitchen.
“My first official day out was April 22, 2019,” he said. When the pandemic hit, he parked the truck in his driveway and sold meals each evening. “People who were at home and tired of cooking called in and placed orders by phone. I made the most money during the pandemic out of all the years I’ve been in business.”
Having experienced ups and downs like that makes Gregory optimistic about the future. “A lot of businesses that were already going didn’t make it through the pandemic, but I made it,” he said. “That was a real blessing.”
The new location is another blessing, one that Gregory is happy to share. “Getting the kitchen at Carter Commons has helped me touch a lot more people in the neighborhood and bring the community in.”
Vails Brothers Burgers, Shakes, and Fries
Eric and Karen Vails exemplify the power of perseverance when it comes to building a successful food brand. Vails Brothers Shrimp, Chicken, and Fish grew out of many years of experimentation with concepts and locations, balanced with family responsibilities.
Their expansion into North St. Louis County—the fourth restaurant in their portfolio—happened by chance, thanks in part to Eric Vails’ connections in the food business. “We were very familiar with other businesses that had been in Carter Commons, and Eric was instrumental in helping Beyond Housing find someone to fill vacant space in the food hall,” Karen Vails said.
The couple had opened eateries before, including a food truck nicknamed Bella right before the pandemic and a previous version of Vails Brothers Shrimp, Chicken, and Fish that they later closed due to family time constraints. By putting those experiences to good use, they had almost immediate success when they opened a Delmar Boulevard location in 2021—so much so that they opened a second location in The Grove on Manchester Avenue just a year later. “That location also did very, very well,” Karen Vails said.
The Vails had been grilling burgers at their third location, Chillax Tap & Co. in St. Peters, so they knew the smashburger concept would be popular. But they still put plenty of research and development into the menu for Carter Commons. “When we execute something, we want it to be perfect,” Karen Vails said. Judging by customers’ response, they’ve nailed not only the burgers but also the fries and shakes.
Their vision this new location includes serving the lunch crowd on weekdays, the bar crowd on evenings when The Drink House STL is open, and the Sunday day party crowd for brunch once a month. They’re also planning seasonal community events for Halloween and Christmas with the goal of giving back to their customers and feeding those who might be in need.
