On Tuesday July 28th we were informed that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. In an effort to keep both our guests and employees safe, Big Sky Cafe will be closed for the rest of the week.

During the time we are closed, we have asked all employees to get tested as well as scheduling a deep cleaning and sanitizing of the restaurant. We plan on reopening on Tuesday August 4th.

It is important to note that this employee has not been in the restaurant for 7 days, and never had any direct contact with customers. This employee is feeling well and we are thankful that they were proactive in communicating their second-hand exposure with us, as well as getting tested immediately after being notified of the exposure.

The health and safety of our guests and employees have always been our number one concern since the beginning of this pandemic. In March, we immediately implemented (and continue to follow) extensive cleaning procedures that include cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces every 30 minutes, frequent hand washing, temperature checks and required face masks.

We appreciate the support that you have shown us the last few months, and we look forward to having the chance to feed you again very soon!

The health and safety of our employees and our guests are our #1 priority!

Our promise to you when you dine with us:

• Staff members will wear masks at all times.
• Staff members are required to wash hands every 30 minutes.
• Servers will sanitize their hands before and after every delivery made to a table at stations located throughout the restaurant.
• Temperatures are taken of each staff member upon arrival. Signs of any illness will excuse the staff member from their shift.
• All common surfaces and door handles will be wiped down every 15 minutes.
• All tables will be spaced at least (sometimes more) 6 feet apart.
• Hand sanitizer spray will be placed on every table for guest use.
• Menus will be single use.

 
Here is what we ask of you when you visit:

• We strongly recommend making a reservation to dine with us. Due to the capacity restrictions, available tables are limited.
• Reservations are scheduled for 1.5-hour increments to assure proper sanitizing standards between guest visits.
• Due to unpredictable weather, patio dining is on request the day of the visit.
• We cannot accept party sizes larger than 8 people.
• When you arrive for your reservation, please call us to be sure your table is ready before entering the building.
• Please wear a mask once inside the building at all times, except when seated at your table.
• Please abide by social distancing rules when moving around the restaurant.
• We ask that all payments be made with a credit card. We cannot accept cash (including tips) at this time.

Continuing Curbside Service Procedures:

• All orders are placed and paid for online or via phone. Signatures are not required for credit card receipts.
• Cash transactions, including gratuity are strongly discouraged.  
• Give us a call when you arrive so that we can bring your order straight to your car. We can not allow you to come in for pick up.
• Drive up guests are encouraged to have trunks and rear hatches accessible for staff to place orders in their vehicles at distance.  
• Staff members must always wear a mask for all curbside deliveries. 

As we stated back in March 2020, the health and safety of our employees and customers is our #1 priority. As the situation has evolved and changed, we have also updated our procedures according to the guidelines provided by the Centers of Disease Control, St. Louis County Health Department and the Missouri Restaurant Association.

Cleaning Procedures:

• We sanitize all common surfaces at open and close as well as in 30-minute intervals throughout the day.
• Staff members are provided masks and gloves that are required to be disposed of often.
• There are multiple hand sanitizer stations placed throughout the restaurant for encouraged use.
• Reminders for frequent hand washing are posted in several areas in the restaurant.  
  
  

Social Distancing:

• We never have more than 10 people in the building at a time.
• Staff members are required to wear a mask at all times.
• The number of vendors and deliveries has been reduced to limit social contact. 
• Staff is regularly reminded of the importance of staying healthy by following social distancing guidelines. 
• Staff members have also been instructed to stay home if they are ill, avoid touching their faces, and to cover all coughs and sneezes with their elbow and not their hands.
• Staff temperatures are taken with non-contact thermometers upon arrival. 
  
  

Curbside Service:

• All orders are placed and paid for online or via phone. Signatures are no longer required for credit card receipts.
• Cash transactions, including gratuity are strongly discouraged.  
• Drive up guests are encouraged to have trunks and rear hatches accessible for staff to place orders in their vehicles at distance.  
• All curbside deliveries done while the staff member wears a mask and gloves. 
• The receiving room door is held open to reduce the need to constantly touch a common contact surface by delivery persons and staff.

Please call us with any questions or concerns you may have at 314-962-5757.

As information changes daily, you may be concerned about how safe it might be to order from restaurants during this time. Below are two great resources to check out:

Explore St. Louis came up with some guidelines for both restaurants and their guests from Explore St. Louis.
Read them here.

Serious Eats, a restaurant industry publication, came up with a very extensive and informational article about the virus, contamination, spread, and food safety. Read the article here.

Attention to our most important people (you):

Like all other restaurants in the St. Louis area, our dining room is officially closed as of Thursday March 19th.  Since we had to temporarily layoff about 75% of our extremely talented and loyal staff, we have been working hard to figure out a plan to keep the doors open as the COVID-19 situation evolves. By revamping and expanding our capabilities, as well as improving our packaging and procedures, we will be doing our best to give you the full Big Sky experience at home (minus the faces of Jim, Darlene, etc.).

Which is why are excited to announce our new “Farm to Curbside” menu! Available Tuesday-Sunday from 11:30 am – 8 pm, it has all of the local and sustainable favorites you love for takeout and curbside pickup. There are options for small and larger portions and family style meals that we hope offers you convenience and comfort during this very stressful time. We have also tried to lower a price here and there to encourage a little more adventure in your choice.  You can’t eat pizza and Chinese EVERY night!

Our goal is to improve our carryout sales over the next several weeks in stages to achieve a level of business that would support bringing our staff back as soon as possible. We are all optimistic that we can work through this and find rewards on the other side because our staff and management have a truly shared mission of food, wine and hospitality.  

We’re so thankful for your support and continued trust in this often-surreal time.  We are especially grateful to those regulars who have helped get us to 28 years of service. We are encouraged by the positive response as we all work together to ensure our staff and customers remain healthy.  Please continue to let us know how we’re doing. Hopefully you can bring/drag Big Sky’s Farm to Curbside 2.0 into the future. We look forward to staying 6 feet away from you at curbside pickup, and seeing you face to face soon.
​
May health be with you,
Tim, Dominic and the Big Sky Café Staff

For almost 30 years, we have been proud of not only our local and sustainable menu and high-quality hospitality experience, but also of our responsible and ethical business practices. Caring for our surrounding community and the planet is part of our mission, and that includes the health and safety of our employees and guests. We will be doing our best to adapt to changing circumstances as the current flu season as well as the COVID-19 virus situation evolves. After reviewing our standard practices, we are focusing on the following:

• We never have more than 10 people in the building at any time.
• Our staff has increased the practice of washing hands above the regularly prescribed intervals as well as after contact with any individual. Gloves are also worn as much as possible.
• Staff members have also been instructed to stay home if they are ill, avoid touching their faces, and to cover all coughs and sneezes with their elbow and not their hands.
• We have increased our diligence in our regular sanitizing procedures including all common surface areas as at more frequent intervals with disinfecting wipes (this includes pens after use).
• Additional hand sanitizer stations and antibacterial wipes have been placed at the front door.
• We will continue to closely monitor our resources for updates to the current climate from the St. Louis County Health Department as well as the Missouri Restaurant Association.
• Please note that normally we steer towards more natural cleaners, but we have increased the power of cleaners and disinfecting solutions to meet this current situation.

If you have any questions or concerns about our procedures and policies, please call us at 314.962.5757.
​
Thank you for your support,
Tim, Dominic, and the Management of Big Sky Cafe