The Southern eatery will relocate from its space on Boyle Avenue to one at the 4101 Laclede luxury condominium development. It’s slated to make the move to the bigger space in April 2018. Owner John Perkins, who opened Juniper in 2013, says “I saw limitations that, looking into the future, were going to impact us. Where we are at geographically, it’s not suited to long-term viability.”
Although the move will only span about three blocks, Perkins says its a big change for the restaurant—more visibility, a greater density area, easier access to the Cortex Innovation Community. “Five to 10 years from now, it’s only going to get busier and more dense in that area,” he says, adding he’s happy to be in company with Retreat Gastropub, The Block, and The Scottish Arms. “With our arrival, that just solidifies itself even more as a dining destination for folks.”
The relocation has also spurred a menu update. Perkins says he wants to be able to dive further into the kind of cuisine that Juniper started doing and has been known for: Southern fare with a bent toward the low country. Diners can except fresh and grilled oysters over a live-wood fire, weekend brunch, and a late-night menu Thursday through Saturday. “I also just want to make it a fun environment,” Perkins says. To that end, he mentions “old-school” soft-serve ice cream, complete with sprinkles and hard shell.
After Juniper makes the move, Perkins says the Boyle space will be used for catering and private events. He mentions the possibility of transforming it into a breakfast concept, Little Bird. “I have wanted to do a breakfast thing for a long time,” Perkins says. “I think it does make a lot of sense, just to take what we already invested in that space and keep it going.” But, he adds, plans for that aren’t finalized. Juniper on Boyle Avenue will be open until March 2018.
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