Steve Shaw was driving along the Avenue of the Saints when the idea hit him.
Many of the small towns along the Northeast Missouri stretch of U.S. 61 between St. Louis and St. Paul had no easily accessible restaurants.
Shaw, the owner of Golden Corral in Hannibal, also managed a place in Iowa and saw the gradual conversion of the two-lane road into a four-lane thoroughfare.
He decided to take the leap and open Saints Avenue Café.
The first restaurant in what he and business partner Randy Ferris hope will be a string of eateries along the heavily-traveled highway is set to open within the next 10 days in Canton.
The recession has been tough on dining places. Even some established restaurants have had a decrease in business. Shaw and Ferris are confident their upstart can buck the trend.
“We’re going to bring the small-town market back,” Shaw said. “Now’s the time to build. People need jobs. The economy is going to come back.”
Shaw declined to put a price tag on the investment.
The Saints Avenue Café will be along Oak Street off the southernmost Canton exit near the Comfort Inn hotel and a retail shopping center.
There will be 25 employees and seating for 100 in the dining room and another 60 in an attached banquet facility.
The menu will include diner favorites such as burgers and sandwiches, but also will feature steaks and a buffet bar.
Hours will be 6 a.m. to midnight daily.
“This is the first prototype we’ve built,” said Shaw, who is not severing his ties to Golden Corral. “We want to make sure we get it right.”
If all goes well in Canton, Shaw and Ferris may make Bowling Green their next target for a Saints Avenue franchise.
“There aren’t many restaurants along Highway 61,” Shaw said. “I think this will be a good start for us.
