Steve Ewing, founder of Steve’s Hot Dogs, was driving east from downtown toward his restaurant in the Delmar Maker District on afternoon of May 16, 2025.
By the time the usually short trek had ended, parts of the St. Louis area had been slammed by a tornado that left catastrophic damage totaling at least $1.6 billion.
“I was trying to make my way back,” Ewing said during the Build Back the Block tornado relief concert Tuesday evening at the Maker District at Delmar and Union.
“I was thinking ‘the sky looks terrible’ as I was driving.”
Steve’s Hot Dogs and The Fountain were directly impacted by the storm and, like thousands of other businesses, were forced to shut down.
Ewing said both his restaurant and The Fountain received some roof damage, and windows were blown out by the powerful tornadic winds.
Whichever direction you look when standing on Delmar near Steve’s there is tornado destruction visible. While his restaurant was closed, Ewing said he and staff immediately began providing free meals and fed 750 people following the storm.
“When the tornado hit, our first thought was about helping,” he said.
Ewing had established a Feed the People program long before the tornado hit and was attempting to raise $5,000 to replenish that fund. The CITY SC MLS franchise donated $2,500 to get Ewing 50% toward the goal.
Tuesday was a cause for celebration as both the restaurants reopened on Tuesday and money was raised for businesses that were damaged along the Delmar Main area.
“We’re getting focused, we’re getting fired up for the businesses right here on Delmar,” he said as the Funky Butt Brass Band prepared to entertain.
10% of the proceeds from the evening are being donated to the Build Back the Block tornado relief fund. In all, the Delmar Maker District hoped to raise $50,000.
Felice McClendon, Delmar Main Street executive director, was in her car near the Delmar and Union intersection as tornado’s fury approached her.
“A woman in her car was driving in reverse -fast right toward me. I honked the horn because I thought she was going to hit me, then I saw what she did. Trees were just being thrown all down the block,: she said.
McClendon ducked down as debris smashed into her car and broke all but one of its windows.
“I’m blessed to be here,” she said.
McClendon said the response by the community to help those impacted by the tornado has also been a blessing.
“People are helping people they know, and that is great. We also need to help the people we’ve never met,” said McClendon.
She said supporting small businesses in the impacted areas would help spread the recovery to more homes and households.
“For every small business impacted, there are employees. A business supporting from 10 to 100 employees means there now 10 to 100 households that no longer have a source of income. Supporting small business is key to getting St. Louis back on its feet,” McClendon told the concert crowd.”
She said it is important “to elevate the voices from the small business community to highlight the kind of help they need to get back in business.”
10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard said each of the eight neighborhoods in the ward received heavy damage.
“Some people are recovering, while some have no place to,” she said.
“There has been a disparity in how people can respond depending on their circumstance. It is great to be able to raise money and put it right back into the community.”
Clark explained with FEMA now canvassing, the city is working with the federal agency “to make sure we are not duplicating services.”
“We must make sure we are getting the people all their relief, and that no one is missed,” she said.