http://labelleviefrenchtown.com

When Mark and Melissa Hollander signed the lease agreement on February 1, 2020 to take possession of a commercial space in Frenchtown – St. Charles, Missouri, they had absolutely no idea that in the next few weeks, the world would change and their dreams of opening a small café and coffee shop would be threatened by a worldwide pandemic!  As businesses across the country were closing up shop, they pushed forward and continued the buildout that would eventually become La Belle Vie / The Café at Frenchtown.

Mark and Melissa are both retired bankers but had a dream of creating a space in St. Charles that would become a gathering place – a place where relationships and memories would be created.  They looked at nearly a dozen different locations and finally settled on a former antique store in Frenchtown – a small community on the rise just north of the popular downtown district of St. Charles.

“This space just felt right to us”, shared Melissa as she sips on her Earl Grey Tea.  “We wanted to be a part of the revitalization efforts of Frenchtown, close to Lindenwood University and within the City limits of St. Charles.  This is Mark’s hometown and his roots and family heritage run deep here and we wanted to be a part of this community.”

“Being a fourth generation St. Charles City resident, we wanted to be a part of this business community and create something special in my hometown.  My Dad grew up four blocks from here and my Mom grew up 6 blocks from here.  I feel like we have come back home, in a way”, said Mark.

Melissa has been saving recipes for years and had a vision for the space.  Neither of them is afraid to get dirty and planned to do most of the internal work themselves.  They hired the necessary contractors and worked for 7 months to create their space and finally opened the doors on September 14. 

La Belle Vie features a diverse menu of soups, sandwiches, flat breads and breakfast all day long.  Their signature items are a home recipe French Dip Sandwich and homemade French Onion Soups.  They have been getting rave reviews from customers during the first 6 weeks of business.  They have partnered with local Coffee Roaster, Stringbean Coffee for all their delicious coffee drinks and Missouri Brewing Company for locally brewed beers. 

The Hollanders are excited to be a part of the St. Charles community and to build our business for many, many years.  Stop in and enjoy a cup of coffee at a great cozy place to grab a sandwich, cup of coffee, glass of wine and enjoy the quaint and comfortable environment. Nestled in the middle of Frenchtown, we are a stone's throw away from the Katy Trail!