A Dream
How It All Started
Ever since he was fourteen years old working as a dishwasher in a small restaurant, St. Louis native Sonny Lewis dreamed of opening Drake’s Place. One night, just a few months into the job, one of the head chefs became unexpectedly sick, so the manager asked Sonny to fill in. Sonny protested, but the manager pushed him to try anyway, assuring him with these faithful words: “Sonny, you’ll learn.” Indeed, a young Sonny learned enough about cooking to make it through that night, and his culinary journey was far from over. Over the next forty years, while working in hotels and country clubs, Sonny pursued his passion for food, rising to positions of Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, and Executive Chef. Continuously learning, Sonny developed a reputation as one of the finest makers of sophisticated, American cuisine in all of St. Louis.
Still, Sonny could not shake this dream of opening Drake’s—a place of fine American cuisine, a place where customers could become family, and a place where Sonny could give back to the community that he loved so much. With their kids grown up, Sonny and his wife Bridgett began to seriously think and pray, and in 2013, by a stroke of grace, they were able to buy the restaurant where Drake’s now stands before it even went on the market. On May 20, 2014, Drake’s Place officially opened. |
The Drake’s Place story began with a boy with a passion for food and service. But what started as a wistful dream has grown into a very real community. Today, as the Drake’s story continues to grow, the Drake’s family grows with it. As Bridgett says about Drake’s, “It’s about being together.” Together, Sonny and Bridgett would love nothing more than to serve you and invite you to be part of the Drake’s family.