When a tornado tore through the Delmar Maker District in May 2025, it didn’t just damage buildings – it disrupted a neighborhood in the middle of a major transformation.
The area, tucked between the Central West End and the Delmar Loop, has long been seen as a bridge between two of St. Louis’ most bustling districts. For developer Doug Auer – co-founder of the Maker District’s anchor business Third Degree Glass – that location is what makes it so full of potential. “It’s right between two thriving areas,” Auer said. “It should be a connector – a vibrant link that brings people and energy between them. That’s what we’re building toward.”
Auer said that vision has guided every part of the district’s redevelopment. “We did our very best to make this easy and attractive to all of our tenants,” he said. “We paid for the full buildout for all of the development work in the district. Tenants handled their furniture and equipment needs on their own, with some of them being given low-cost loans as needed, in addition to the lease payments. Tenants were not asked for any other capital up front, other than security deposits at time of occupancy.”
A CULINARY ANCHOR
No one embodies that vision more than restaurateur Ben Poremba, whose restaurant group now anchors much of the district’s culinary energy. After more than a decade shaping the dining landscape in Botanical Heights, Poremba made the bold move to shift the majority of his restaurant group to Delmar.
“I was looking for a neighborhood that had a lot of growth potential,” Poremba said. “There were vacant buildings, yes, but more importantly, there was a budding enterprise and community forming there. It felt like the right kind of thing, a neighborhood still taking shape, with the right partners and the right energy.”
He found those partners in Auer and Jim McKelvey, the creative minds behind the Maker District, who shared his belief that Delmar could become one of the city’s most dynamic and entrepreneurial corridors. “We liked the idea of the Maker: people being creative and doing things with their hands,” Poremba said. “We didn’t just want to open one restaurant. We wanted to move three and open a couple more.”
By the time Poremba closed Nixta, Olio and Elaia in Botanical Heights on Dec. 31, 2023, the buildout on his new chapter was already underway. Esca opened in March 2024, Florentin followed in June, and a revived Nixta began serving guests that December, fully reopening by February 2025. His Deli Divine, located just down the street, had already debuted in May 2023.
The momentum was strong. “Esca has been very busy since the beginning,” Poremba said. “Florentin’s weekends are solid, and Nixta had incredible energy when we opened. Those first few months were packed, and we’d started doing salsa and DJ nights.”
THE TORNADO HITS
Then came the tornado.
“It was surreal being there during the storm,” Poremba said. “We went to the basement – we were just getting ready for service – and when we came out, it was overwhelming to see all the destruction around us.”
The storm caused major damage throughout the district. Steve’s Hot Dogs and The Fountain on Delmar, both neighbors to Nixta, sustained heavy damage but have since reopened, a testament to the area’s resilience. Just down the block, however, Beyond Sweet Kitchen + Bar was hit so hard that it doesn’t appear it will ever reopen. Requests for comment from owner Dallas Holland were not returned as of press time.
PICKING UP THE PIECES
Danni Eickenhorst, co-owner of HuSTL Hospitality Group, which operates both Steve’s and The Fountain, remembers that day vividly. “I was in St. Charles when it came through,” she said. “We had guests on our patio, and one of our employees saw a tornado had touched down. They got everyone inside and into the walk-in. It was terrifying – but everyone was OK.” When she arrived afterward, the damage was extensive. “There were holes in the roof, windows blown out, HVAC ripped off the building – but because it was newer construction, the walls held. We were lucky.”
Eickenhorst and her team quickly shifted into recovery mode. “Because our buildings were in decent shape, we immediately started serving food and handing out personal supplies and opened space for nonprofits to provide aid,” she said. They reopened just 31 days later, in June, with a Build Back the Block concert that raised $50,000, later matched by a private donor.
Still, the neighborhood has struggled to regain its footing. “Almost every business on the street is significantly down because our regulars aren’t there,” she said. “Operating revenue is down 30 to 50 percent right now. We’ve reduced our hours to get through the winter – we’re just trying to make it to spring.”
RALLYING SUPPORT WITH DOLLAR$ FOR DELMAR
To help, Eickenhorst has launched a long-term effort called Dollar$ for Delmar, a regional fundraising campaign dedicated to the economic recovery of the Delmar Maker District and surrounding areas impacted by the tornado. The campaign officially launches on Dec. 11 and will be managed through Delmar Main Street and the Delmar Maker District.
Seventy percent of all funds raised will go directly to businesses that have reopened and have the greatest need, while the remaining 30 percent will fund marketing, events and placemaking initiatives designed to bring more people to the area. The goal is to raise at least $1.5 million, ensuring that the Maker District not only rebuilds but thrives, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the St. Louis arts and business scene.
“Our hope is that the entire region will rally behind this effort,” Eickenhorst said. “This neighborhood needs what we’re giving – safe spaces, affordable meal options, a sense of community. We want to be here on the other side when everyone comes back.”
REBUILDING AND REGAINING MOMENTUM
Poremba’s own buildings were battered too. The property that will eventually house Olio and Elaia collapsed entirely, while the others suffered extensive damage. “We worked very hard to get everything cleaned up,” he said. “We didn’t even have all the windows in or power for a while. It took about five weeks to reopen.”
Even with the doors back open, recovery has been uneven. “The tornado killed some of that momentum,” he said. “A lot of people who lived nearby can’t move back yet or never will. Especially on weekdays, traffic has been down. Esca’s been affected too. It’s a slow go; the neighborhood still needs a lot of work.”
Still, signs of renewal are emerging. The Delish on Delmar event in mid-October drew big crowds, bringing fresh energy and visibility to the district’s restaurants and makers. For many business owners, it was a hopeful sign that people are ready to return and rediscover the area.
Despite the challenges, the district remains lively. On any given weekend, there’s still a steady hum of diners spilling out of Esca and Florentin, the smell of hot dogs wafting from Steve’s, ice cream sundaes clinking next door at The Fountain. “It’s still a bustling area,” Poremba said. “It just needs more people to come see what’s here.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Poremba is not done yet. “In addition to Olio and Elaia, we’re going to add a couple more concepts over the next year or so,” he said. “That’s part of the excitement: We’re fully committed to that neighborhood and to attracting more operating partners to make it the best it can be.”
For Poremba, the investment is about more than food, it’s about reimagining what Delmar represents. “Delmar has had a bad stigma as a divide,” he said. “But it’s really one of the city’s main arteries: It connects the county to downtown, it’s close to the airport and the universities. If we’re serious about rebuilding and rebranding St. Louis as a fun, active entrepreneurial city, the focus should be on Delmar.”
Eickenhorst shares that belief in the district’s potential. “This is where healing and partnership can happen,” she said. “When people come together in community – that’s when the momentum starts to benefit both sides of Delmar. The Maker District facilitates that creativity and connection, and we want to see it thrive.”
Auer agrees. For him, every new storefront, every restaurant reopening, and every mural or maker space is part of that bigger mission. “This district has always been about creativity and collaboration,” Auer said. “The tornado was a setback, no doubt – but it also reminded us how strong this community is. What’s happening here isn’t temporary. It’s rebuilding, it’s reimagining and it’s just getting started.”