On the 8100 block of Maryland Avenue in downtown Clayton, three addresses sit a few doors apart: 8109, 8115 and 8121. In the summer of 2025, one of them held a deli and another was about to become a Colombian coffee shop. By this fall, all three are open or nearly open. Their owners have also started planning around each other.
That last part is the real story of downtown Clayton this October. The new places aren't trying to be the next big destination. Each is taking a piece of the day that its neighbor doesn't already cover.
8121, 8115, 8109
Start at the coffee. Zensia, a Colombian coffee specialist at 8121 Maryland, opened quietly on the weekend before September 3, 2025, according to St. Louis Magazine.
Two doors down, Sylvie Dee's held the grand opening of its Clayton shop at 8115 Maryland on October 3, 2026. It's the brand's third location. It opened in Webster Groves just over two years ago and at City Foundry STL a little more than a year ago. The Clayton shop has the same mix as the first two: ice cream, sundaes the shop calls "Saturdaes," milkshakes, floats, affogatos, candy and its signature ice cream nachos.
St. Louis Magazine reported that Sylvie Dee's still uses local roaster Vapore Coffee but "intentionally streamlined" its coffee menu in Clayton "out of respect for neighboring Colombian coffee specialist Zensia." So the new shop on the block shrank the part of its menu that overlapped with the shop next door. That leaves Zensia as the coffee stop and makes Sylvie Dee's the place for sweets and soda-fountain treats.
The Clayton location also brings something new to the company. It's the first Sylvie Dee's with an in-house pastry program, and that kitchen will bake for all of its locations. If you live in Webster Groves or eat at City Foundry, the pastries in the case there will now come from Maryland Avenue.
The third address is still a work in progress. At 8109 Maryland, Retta Tussey, owner of Retta Jane, got a conditional use permit from the Clayton City Council on June 9, 2026, on a 5-0 voice vote. Her plan combines three uses in one space: clothing retail, an office for interior design services, and a wine bar called The Reading Room that will serve drinks and light food. An earlier Ladue News profile gave a tentative timeline of an August soft launch and a September grand opening. As of St. Louis Magazine's October 5 openings roundup, The Reading Room was still listed as coming this fall.
Once all three are open, the block covers the whole day: coffee at 8121, ice cream and pastry at 8115, and wine at 8109.
Where the Posh Nosh Went
The Sylvie Dee's space was available because of a move, not a closing. For years, 8115 Maryland was home to The Posh Nosh. In September 2025, St. Louis Magazine reported that owner Catherine Smith, who took over the deli in February 2022, was moving it to 7359 Forsyth in University City. Her reasons were a larger space, better working conditions, more room for catering and prep, and ADA compliance. The deli reopened at the Forsyth address as Posh Nosh Deli & Grill in November 2025.
If you used to grab lunch at 8115 Maryland, the sandwich counter is a short drive east now, and the old storefront serves sundaes. The move also explains why the space came open at all. The deli needed more room than a small downtown storefront could give it, and an ice cream and pastry shop could use that same footprint.
Three Years Empty at 16 N. Central
A block over, the fall's other opening fills a space that was empty much longer. Tora Asian House at 16 N. Central Ave. previously housed Honeymoon Chocolates, then sat vacant for three years.
Tora soft-opened on September 18, according to St. Louis Magazine's openings roundup. The magazine's later feature dates the official opening to October 2. The menu is Pan-Asian, with Taiwanese, Chinese and Japanese dishes. The focus is house-made noodles, plus entrées and bubble tea. Chef-owner Calvin Hu runs it in partnership with local restaurateur Biddy Sanivong. The name comes from the Japanese word for "tiger." It also refers to the Chinese character for the third earthly branch of the traditional Chinese calendar, which corresponds to the Year of the Tiger.
Tora also fits the pattern on Maryland. Its listed hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, which covers lunch and an early dinner. It doesn't overlap with Zensia's coffee or a late wine bar. A bowl of noodles on Central followed by a scoop on Maryland is now an easy walk.
The Corner That Has Waited Since 2021
The longest wait in this part of Clayton is at Hanley Road and Wydown Boulevard. The Starbucks at 7645 Wydown closed in 2021, and the building has been empty since. In April, Clayton's Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board approved a conditional use permit for Gigi's Cafe, a new project from Matt McGuire, owner of Louie and Wright's Tavern. STLPR reported that the site is directly across the street from Wright's Tavern.
The plan follows the same logic as Maryland Avenue, inside one building. According to STLPR, Gigi's will be a coffeehouse from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., then serve pizza at an Italian-style bar from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Saturday. It will have about 45 seats inside in 2,200 square feet, plus a patio. Even the coffee service is unusual: a host will seat guests during the day, and evenings will take a limited number of reservations.
At the meeting, the hours were still open for discussion. Commission members asked McGuire to consider opening Sundays for the neighborhood. STLPR quoted his answer:
"I should probably stay open to that idea. I just never work Sunday, and I've always said that if I, 'If I'm not willing to do it, I can't ask someone else to do it.' … It probably would be something to consider for the neighborhood, for sure."
The same meeting also raised a familiar issue for anyone near Wydown and Hanley. The commission and one resident who spoke both flagged cars and delivery trucks crowding the street and the alley. McGuire said he had no plans to add parking but seemed open to it later. McGuire had hoped to open in October if the renovation and permits went smoothly. St. Louis Magazine's October 5 roundup still listed Gigi's as a fall opening.
Open Now, and Still Coming
Here's where each address stands heading into late October 2026. Hours come from each business's own site where it posts them. Opening-week hours often change, so check before you go.
| Address | Business | What it is | Status | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8121 Maryland Ave. | Zensia | Colombian coffee | Open since late summer 2025 | Check with shop |
| 8115 Maryland Ave. | Sylvie Dee's | Ice cream, candy, soda fountain, pastry | Opened October 3, 2026 | Closed Mon; Tue–Thu 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri–Sun 8 a.m.–9:30 p.m. |
| 16 N. Central Ave. | Tora Asian House | House-made noodles, Pan-Asian, bubble tea | Opened October 2, 2026 | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily |
| 8109 Maryland Ave. | Retta Jane / The Reading Room | Boutique, design office, wine bar | Announced for fall | Not yet posted |
| 7645 Wydown Blvd. | Gigi's Cafe | Daytime coffeehouse, evening pizza and bar | Announced for fall | Planned 7 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–1 a.m., Mon–Sat |
One note on Sylvie Dee's: St. Louis Magazine's opening story listed 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. The shop's own website now shows Mondays closed and earlier closing times Tuesday through Thursday, so plan an after-dinner scoop for the weekend.
A Downtown Clayton Afternoon This Fall
With the open places lined up next to each other, a weekend afternoon here takes very little planning:
- Start with coffee at Zensia, 8121 Maryland.
- Walk to Tora Asian House at 16 N. Central once it opens at 11 a.m. for house-made noodles or bubble tea.
- Head back to 8115 Maryland for ice cream nachos or a pastry from the new in-house bakery program at Sylvie Dee's, which stays open until 9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
- Look in at 8109 Maryland as you pass to see whether The Reading Room has opened.
For a neighborhood date on the calendar, the City of Clayton lists a Ward 3 Neighborhood Block Party on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Taylor Park, 222 N. Central Ave. This year's theme is an apple orchard. Taylor Park is on the same street as Tora, so a noodle dinner before the party is easy to fit in.
Watching which empty storefronts fill, and with what, is part of how I read a downtown, and Clayton's small spaces have been a good guide this fall. If you live nearby and want to talk about what these changes mean for your corner of Clayton, The Drew Group is always glad to compare notes. Let's Connect.
