Our BIG WHY
HUSTL Hospitality Group is aptly named for its scrappiness and growth. With “STL” at the core of the name, we’re keeping our focus clear - feeding the St. Louis region in more ways than one through:
Unique, innovative food & drinks that starts a conversation;
Purposeful charitable giveback;
Active community involvement, and
Investing in talented people, giving them a space to grow.
We know that we owe our success to faithful employees and community members who have rallied around us every step of the way. They are our inspiration and our big WHY. With every charitable donation or community project, we are only paying back a small portion of the faith & support they have shown in us.
WE COME BY IT HONESTLY
HUSTL Hospitality CEO Danni Eickenhorst was born a community-builder. When a friend of the family was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, she hit the streets with a mason jar knocking on doors to raise funds. Later in life, she became a fundraiser and the head of communications for The Salvation Army, Great Rivers Greenway, and other community organizations. Through her work with these organizations, Danni came to realize that she enjoyed leaving her mark on the St. Louis region, and she became hungry to help on a larger scale.
She and her husband, HUSTL Hospitality CFO Marcus Eickenhorst launched Blank Page Consulting, a marketing and business consulting company that was meant to help small businesses, non-profit organizations, and start-ups that couldn’t ordinarily afford agency support. Through this work, they became connected with HUSTL CCO Steve Ewing, founder of Steve’s Hot Dogs - an extraordinary human being (who they’d both been BIG fans of for a long time!) that shared their love for the community.
STEVE’S HOT DOGS
Steve’s Hot Dogs was a client of Blank Page Consulting. Danni spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds that would allow the restaurant to expand. As the restaurant grew, Ewing faced challenges balancing his demanding music career and the needs of multiple restaurant locations. In January of 2020, he asked Danni and Marcus for help announcing the closure of Steve’s Hot Dogs.
…spoiler alert… They got him to keep it open with the help of the community. (But that’s an amazing story for another day. You can get a bit of it here in a highlight by Canvas Rebel.)
With new partnership and extra hands, the restaurant grew quickly - even in spite of pandemic-related setbacks and struggles. Danni provided marketing and operations expertise, while Marcus (“Ike”) brought his accounting experience, and Steve continued to be the boots on the ground, working in the community.
Several years later, the restaurant expanded it original location to a larger space at 3145 South Grand, and will be opening up a new space at CityPark as one of the official core partners of St. Louis City SC’s food experience. Look for more expansion from Steve’s Hot Dogs soon!
THE FOUNTAIN ON LOCUST
in 2021, Joy Grdnic Christensen founder of The Fountain on Locust reached out to Danni and Marcus about taking over the reigns at her iconic restaurant. She’d seen their work in the community - from the early days through the impressive turnaround of Steve’s Hot Dogs and knew that they had a similar affection for the St. Louis community. She asked if they would be interested in potentially taking over the reigns at the restaurant so that she could retire. She felt that they would understand the gravity of taking care of such a beloved restaurant and that it would be in good hands.
In October 2021, Joy retired and The Fountain on Locust became the second concept for the Eickenhorsts and the home office for HUSTL Hospitality Group.
The Fountain on Locust continues to be an iconic place for lunch, dinner, drinks, and dessert in Midtown Alley, just blocks away from The Fox Theater, Powell Symphony Hall and the Sheldon. Since taking over ownership, the Eickenhorsts have been committed to preserving Joy’s vision - but have also added their own spin with new events, and an expanded menu of items that cater to guests who are vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free.
THE STARDUST ROOM
In the fall of 2021, the Eickenhorsts launched The Stardust Room - a small event space located above The Fountain on Locust. The speakeasy-style space was a project that Joy focused on throughout the pandemic, and the Eickenhorsts wanted the world to see it. An art deco speakeasy-style space, The Stardust Room regularly hosts rehearsal dinners, small weddings, business gatherings, birthday parties and more.
In 2022, the Eickenhorsts launched a catering program through The Fountain on Locust as well - offering an event food option that could be ordered for those booking the space - or for those hosting an off-site event as well.
STEVE’S MELTDOWN - elevated grilled cheese
In January of 2023, the HUSTL Hospitality Group launched Steve’s Meltdown - a virtual restaurant serving elevated grilled cheese. Why, you may ask? It’s because we do comfort food really, really well… (soups, mac & cheese, hot dogs, ice cream) and we wanted to expand our reach in this category.
Steve’s Meltdown - Elevated Grilled Cheese is a carryout & delivery-only concept - delivering a next-level grilled cheese experience straight to your door. With a rotating list of sandwiches and specials that are just as creative as you’d hope they’d be, Steve’s Meltdown is poised to be the next big thing in ghost kitchens. The team plans to expand the ghost kitchen concept nationwide in the coming years.
Watch for more here!
FEEDING THE COMMUNITY
At Steve’s Hot Dogs & Steve’s Meltdown, our Feed The People program provides $10,000 in free meals to area food pantries and social service organizations, such as St. Patrick Center, Tent Mission, the Waymaker’s Chapel for the Exceptional, and more. The program is funded in part by donated meals purchased by our customers.
At The Fountain on Locust, we give back by offering a giveback percentage on certain menu items throughout the year. We’ve been grateful for the community’s support, which have allowed us to make donations to support:
World Central Kitchen
Vivent Health
ALIVE St. Louis
Metro Trans Umbrella Group
The Sheldon Music Foundation
We also give back to STL through hands-on involvement in our immediate community. We are proud to serve on boards in both neighborhoods, supporting the South Grand Cultural Alliance and the Midtown Alley Association.
