Sophisticated Living Magazine: Butler’s Pantry President Richard Nix Jr’s Impact on St. Louis
Richard Nix Jr. remembers playing restaurant at the age of six, a natural byproduct of growing up in a restaurant family. His father, Richard Nix Sr., and mother, Anita, founded Butler’s Pantry in 1966 to provide creative catering solutions to the St. Louis community. Nix Jr. would be take over at the company’s helm in 1994, tasked with building on that dream.
“I felt blessed,” Richard says. “The economy was turning, people had more disposable income, and businesses used catering services more frequently. Today, catering has evolved into putting on lavish events, from first birthdays to weddings and special occasions held at estates, St. Louis landmarks, and popular tourist attractions. We started as a catering company focused on bringing food and services to an office or home, but over the last 20 years, our venue business has grown so much that we now focus on the venue as much as the food and service aspects. At last count, we can cater in about 65 unique locations, so it’s definitely been a nice addition to our business.”
Nix Jr. says that today’s food industry is especially vibrant. The popularity of Food Network, celebrity chefs and the amount of creativity available within the industry makes the profession fun and challenging. He enjoys drawing inspiration from his youthful leadership team and partner vendors to create one-of-a-kind events for his clients.
“Butler’s Pantry has always been a small business,” Richard says. “And while we are still a small family business, we work very hard to provide living wages and a great working culture. Talent and service staff are always the keys to a successful business, and our success is fueled by long-term, knowledgeable service staff and bright, young leadership, including another generation of family members, to help us remain strong into the future. Park Avenue has been a great location for us, but we see opportunities for growth in both our rental and catering divisions. We need more space to store the things that contribute to the client’s overall experience, meaning different tables, chairs, china, etc. We have great vendors here in St. Louis but controlling some of those costs and using them as revenue sources is nice. We’re absolutely looking to stay in the city, maybe near Midtown or The Grove, but we’re considering all options, including The [Delmar] Maker’s District and the Near North area. We’d definitely consider a rehab situation, but if not, we would like to acquire the space we need for a stand-up, new build that would be an asset to the city.”
Giving Back Has Always Been A Priority / “Not to coin a phrase, but we believe that a full life means a full pantry,” Richard says. “In that aspect, we look for opportunities to help our community. We have a nonprofit called It’s Your Birthday for women and children living in shelters. We provide things like taco bars, cupcakes, or something else that these children and mothers might not otherwise experience due to their circumstances. It seems like a small gesture, but it’s really impactful.”