PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY THE JAZZ SPOON
For many in Forest Park, The Jazz Spoon had always been more than just a place to catch live jazz or share a cocktail. The bar, which reopened its doors last month, is the kind of place where regulars greet each other by name. But for owner Vanessa Carter, the return of The Jazz Spoon marks not only a new chapter for her business, but a deeply personal journey.
Carter made the difficult decision to close the bar late last year after her father’s death. The loss, she says, left her uncertain about the future.
“It was difficult,” says Carter. “My dad was just a hard worker. He owned his own barbershop for over 50 years. I always hear him saying, ‘Don’t quit.’ He would not have wanted me to just give up altogether because of him.”
The outpouring of support from the local community eventually convinced her to bring The Jazz Spoon back.
“People would see me at church or out in the community and say, ‘Hey, aren’t you from The Jazz Spoon? We’re so sad you closed. Will you ever come back?’” she says. “There were so many people who missed it. We had to meet what the community was looking for and what I knew my dad would want.”
When The Jazz Spoon reopened, it did so with a new look and revamped business model. Carter and her team transformed from a full-service restaurant into a wine and cocktail lounge, offering a lineup of jazz and blues acts on Fridays and Saturdays.
“We redesigned the interior to give more of that lounge feel,” Carter explains. “There wasn’t really anything like that around here. A safe, comfortable place for people to have a drink and a bite after work without going downtown.”
The menu now features appetizers and small bites, but Carter made sure to keep a few local favorites like their birria tacos and chicken wings, both crowd pleasers from the bar’s earlier days.
The musical programming is at the heart of The Jazz Spoon’s identity. Regular performers include trumpeter Mike Wade, whom Carter says is one of the bar’s top performers, as well as Miles Ellington Twitty and vocalist LaVieena Campbell.
“We want to support our local musicians and help keep jazz and blues alive,” Carter says. “We really want to be that place where people can come and unwind, whether it’s a business meeting or just meeting up with friends.”
Since reopening, weekends have been lively, with live music drawing in regulars and new faces alike. Carter is now focused on building up weeknight traffic, with Wednesday and Thursday wine flights ($18 for a flight and light bites) aimed at the after-work crowd from nearby offices and suburbs.
PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY THE JAZZ SPOON
The bar’s new concept also resonates with Carter’s personal story. Growing up, she played in jazz bands and learned piano and guitar from her father, who shared a deep love for music. “It was just he and I at home, and he taught me how to play,” she recalls. “All the different genres, especially jazz and blues. I owe that to him. He brought me into it.”
Though Carter’s background isn’t in hospitality, she spent years in banking and retail merchandising, but she’s found that her previous experience managing teams, building processes and understanding customers has served her well.
“Anybody who’s ever worked with me knows how important staff is to me,” she says. “It’s about how we train, the respect we give. And from retail, I learned how to engage customers, how to keep things fresh and keep people coming back.”
Looking into the future, Carter hopes to continue evolving the bar, with plans for events like themed parties and more opportunities for local artists to shine. The Jazz Spoon’s menu features playful nods to its musical roots, like the Caprese Crescendo and the Three-Part Harmony charcuterie board, reminders that music and community are always intertwined here.
For Carter, The Jazz Spoon’s reopening is more than a business decision—it’s a tribute.
“I just want to keep pushing, the way my dad would have wanted,” she says. “To bring back what the community started to love, and to keep the music going.”
