By Steve Bowman
Editor, The Brentwood Spirit
bowmansj@sbcglobal.net

The Bonefish Grill held its ribbon-cutting and grand opening on Monday at the corner of Brentwood Boulevard and Eager Road. The restaurant is next door to the new Drury Hotel and Suites, which cut its ribbon on Sept. 17.

About 75 people attended the Bonefish Grill ceremony, including Brentwood Mayor Pat Kelly, City Administrator Bola Akande, Fire Chief Ted Jury and numerous Brentwood Chamber of Commerce members. Also on hand were Bonefish Grill national and regional executives.

Kelly spoke briefly before the ribbon was cut.

“We’ve been very fortunate in attracting new businesses,” said the mayor, who pointed out that Brentwood is the Bonefish Grill’s only St. Louis location. “This process started with an RFP to redevelop this area 21 years ago. On behalf of the city, the board of aldermen and the P and Z [Brentwood Planning and Zoning Commission], welcome to the city of Brentwood.”

The Bonefish Grill has almost 200 locations nationwide. The only other one in Missouri is in Kansas City North. Founded in 2000 in Florida, the chain calls itself “the fresh fish experts” with “market-fresh fish and other wood-grilled specialties.” Its bar offers “hand-crafted cocktails and a distinct list of 30 wines by the glass offering a great match for any food pairing.”

Also at the ribbon-cutting were officials from Make-A-Wish of Missouri. The restaurant is donating 50 percent of today’s lunch and dinner sales to the charity.

The 6,500-square-foot Brentwood restaurant can seat up to 313 patrons. It includes a dining room with an open kitchen, a large bar area with three community tables, a covered patio that seats 58, and two private dining rooms that each seat 32 and can be combined to seat 64.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.