The storefront at 3870 Vogel Road used to be a Goodcents Subs. It sits in a small plaza beside Richardson Crossing Plaza and its Schnucks, across the road from the Jefferson County Plaza with Home Depot and Target. In December it becomes the sixth Gioia's Deli. That's the century-old St. Louis sandwich shop best known for hot salami.
The owners didn't choose that spot off a list of vacancies. Alex Donley told the Leader that Arnold had been on his radar for about five years. He and his wife, Amanda, had asked their Realtor to call if anything opened up in the city. His explanation for the wait was short.
"The testament to Arnold is nothing closes out here. That is a good thing. That means it is a community that supports its local businesses."
When the Vogel Road space came up, Donley said, they saw it the same day it was sent to them. That's how commercial Arnold changes. A business has to leave before a new one can move in, and nearly everything arriving this winter is going into a space with a history.
What Arnold Is Getting From The Hill
Gioia's dates its business to 1918. The James Beard Foundation named it a 2017 America's Classic. Its writeup traces the deli back to a grocery on The Hill run by Challie Gioia and says the hot salami recipe hasn't changed. The same piece says "hot" refers to the temperature of the salami, not to spice.
Right now the Gioia's website lists five shops: The Hill at 1934 Macklind Ave., Valley Park, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights and Winghaven. Arnold is next, and Donley is also planning a seventh in Wentzville. He told the Leader the menu won't change. "We have been doing the same thing for 108 years," he said. "I am not going to change a menu that is perfect."
Part of what drew him was already in Arnold. Donley grew up with members of the Syberg family, whose restaurant group opened Syberg's at 249 Arnold Crossroads Center in 2015 and Twisted Tavern at 3606 W. Outer Road in 2020. He said they always talk about how good it is to run a business in Arnold and Jefferson County. One local operator vouching for the city helped bring in another, and the newcomer still had to wait for an opening.
Every New Arrival Has an Old Address
Gioia's isn't the only one. Look at the businesses that have opened in Arnold since mid-October or are expected between now and 2027, and almost every one is going into a space someone else built or used first.
| Business | Location | What was there, or what it joins |
|---|---|---|
| Gioia's Deli | 3870 Vogel Road | Former Goodcents Subs |
| Chipotle | 1289 Jeffco Blvd., Water Tower Shopping Plaza | Former Jack in the Box |
| Andy's Frozen Custard | Near Planet Fitness, Jeffco Blvd. | The gym sits on the former Arnold Bowl site |
| Trading Card Market | 2156 Michigan Ave., Water Tower shopping plaza | Second store, after Manchester; opened Oct. 13 |
| Jersey Mike's Subs | Arnold Park Mall, Hwy. 141 and Jeffco Blvd. | Existing shopping plaza |
| Beyond the Pasture Meat Market | 1339 Jeffco Blvd. | Retail outpost of a Bonne Terre family farm |
| Century Credit Union | 310 Plaza Way, off West Outer Road | Second Arnold branch; first is at 3920 Jeffco Blvd. |
The Chipotle has the clearest trail. The Leader reported that the Planning Commission voted on it April 14 and the City Council took no action on May 14, which let the permit stand. The company said it planned to open this winter in the old Jack in the Box building in Water Tower Shopping Plaza. Chipotle's careers site has a crew member opening posted for 1289 Jeffco Blvd.
The Andy's Frozen Custard site has been through two uses already. Planet Fitness was built where Arnold Bowl used to be, and Andy's is expected next to it. Arnold's Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Oct. 13 to recommend that the City Council approve a conditional use permit for the custard stand. A company spokesperson told the Leader to expect an opening in the third quarter of 2027. The Jefferson Review covered the same Oct. 13 meeting, where commissioners also recommended approval for the Century Credit Union branch on Plaza Way.
Getting a space is only part of it, because the city still reviews each new use. Earlier this year, Club Car Wash proposed a second Arnold location at 917 Arnold Commons Drive. Planning commissioners opposed it and tabled the proposal, and the company withdrew its application April 21. So a business needs a free space and a use the city will sign off on.
Water Tower Plaza Is Turning Over First
Two of the new names are in the same Water Tower plaza off Michigan Avenue and Jeffco Blvd., and one is already open. Trading Card Market opened its second store on Oct. 13 at 2156 Michigan Ave. The company started in 2022 with a shop in Manchester.
The store carries sports cards, trading card games, LEGO and more. Its posted hours for Arnold are:
- Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The late Friday and Saturday hours fit a store that runs as a game space as well as a shop. It also buys cards: sports and Pokémon singles, graded, vintage and modern cards, and whole collections, for cash or store credit. Card buying runs on shorter hours, Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you're bringing in a shoebox of old cards on a Monday or Tuesday, plan for a second trip.
A little south on Jeffco, Beyond the Pasture Meat Market at 1339 Jeffco Blvd. grew out of the owners' family farm in Bonne Terre. Its website lists locally raised and custom-cut beef, pork, chicken and specialty proteins. It also lists in-house ground beef, burgers, jerky, breakfast sausage and bratwurst, along with sauces, rubs and seasonings. Most of what's coming to Arnold this year is a regional or national chain filling a spot a chain left. A farm-to-counter butcher on Jeffco is the exception.
What Opening Week at Gioia's Looks Like
Donley gave the Leader a fairly detailed plan for the Vogel Road shop. Employees for Arnold are training at the Macklind Avenue shop on The Hill and the Valley Park shop at 922 Meramec Station Road. The Arnold location will employ 15 to 20 people.
There won't be a single opening day. Donley said the plan is a soft opening of a couple of weeks and then a grand opening before Christmas. "If you drive by and see us open, we will serve you as best we can."
The planned setup:
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, closed Sunday
- Seating: room for up to 40
- Delivery: through a third-party company, covering about a 7-mile radius from the shop, which Donley said covers most of Arnold
- Catering: available
The hours are built around lunch, with only a few evenings late in the week. Sunday is the day off. The Vogel Road location puts the deli between the Schnucks and the Home Depot and Target lots.
The Holiday Stretch on Arnold's Calendar
Gioia's soft opening lands in the same few weeks as several city dates. In order:
- Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26: The Gobble Gobble 5K starts at 8 a.m. at Arnold City Park, with a free half-mile kids' run that requires registration.
- Late November: The Arnold Recreation Center's indoor pool at 1695 Missouri State Road is expected to reopen. It has been closed since Aug. 31 for new plaster and a new play structure, and damaged sand filters stretched the job longer. The pool was filled Nov. 1, and the new plaster needs 25 days underwater to cure, which takes it to about Thanksgiving week. The city paid Daikin TMi $349,546 for the plaster and play structure and $218,011 for the filter replacement, according to the Leader. The outdoor pool closed Oct. 30 for winterization.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Christmas in the Park runs 4 to 7 p.m. at Arnold City Park, 2400 Bradley Beach Road. Admission is free, and the city has invited food truck and craft vendors.
- December, before Christmas: Gioia's moves from its soft opening to the grand opening Donley described.
The Chipotle's opening, the Andy's permit and the Jersey Mike's at Arnold Park Mall are all still ahead.
At Becky O'Neill, we track these changes along with the sales numbers. If you'd like to know what your Arnold home could sell for, get your home value and we'll go through it with you. You can also find more on the city on our Arnold neighborhood page.
