After nearly two years at 7 N. Wood River Ave. in Wood River, 1929 Pizza & Wine will soon move to Edwardsville.
1929 Pizza & Wine offers wood fired pizzas, small plates featuring house made butters and rustic breads, salads, dessert and a wide variety of wines.
In addition to moving their established business, owners Amy and Matt Herren will add a pâtisserie to the new location.
Their new place will be Pâtisserie ‘29 in the morning and 1929 Pizza & Wine in the evening.
I briefly spoke to Amy Herren about the addition of Pâtisserie ‘29, reasons for the move, and the new location, which has seen wood fired pizza in its past.
Their 2-in-1 business will be housed at 921 Arbor Vitae, Suite B, which was once the site of Peel Wood Fired Pizza.
More recently, it was the site of Reine, a martini bar and dance club that opened in May 2023 and closed in March.
As “Reine” was French for “queen,” “Pâtisserie” is French for “pastry” and is often used to describe the shop where they are sold.
Herren said that Pâtisserie ‘29 will offer “nice, high-end, laminated dough” goods.
Laminated dough means that a lot of butter is folded into the dough multiple times to create a thinly layered and flaky pastry. Think puff pastries and croissants … good stuff like that.
She didn’t go into detail about a menu but did say there will be seasonal, sweet and savory items.
They will also offer a full menu of espresso-based drinks as well as drip coffee. At this time, the Herrens aren’t yet ready to reveal what brand of coffee they will offer.
Bringing their business to the people
Herren said that part of the reason for the move to Edwardsville is that they feel that Pâtisserie ‘29 isn’t doable in Wood River.
About 99% of their 1929 Pizza & Wine customer base comes from outside of Wood River, according to Herren.
They’re coming from Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, St. Louis, and even Alton and Godfrey, she said, adding that most of that 99% are coming from Edwardsville.
By moving, they’re taking their business to the majority while providing them with a shorter, more direct route.
She also said they would like to be open six days a week instead of the three days they’re operating in Wood River.
The couple looked at a handful of places, including 921 Arbor Vitae. Herren said she and Matt felt it would be a good spot and kept coming back to it.
They ultimately decided the 1,570-square-foot space was a great location for their businesses.
The Arbor Vitae site is centrally located in Edwardsville without being in the middle of everything, if that makes sense. Herren said it’s described as “midtown.”
It’s just off of Route 159, close to downtown Edwardsville and not far from the Orchard Town Center development at the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville border and the surrounding area, which continue to grow.
The building is close to a busy area but set back enough to provide a quieter setting. It’s also along the Madison County trail system, so people can walk or bicycle there.
Herren said the space itself needs work, including clearing out the basement, painting the main space and removing the half wall in the middle of the room.
When Reine occupied the space, the walls were painted black, which worked for the nightclub vibe, but it’s not what the Herrens want.
In Wood River, the space is “light, bright and airy,” said Herren.
It’s part of their brand, and they want to maintain that, so the new space will be painted white with black accents. The butcher block wood tables and counters at the existing location will make the move to Edwardsville.
They will also remove the half wall that separated the bar from the dining area to make it a more open space that brings everyone together.
There won’t be any changes to the kitchen’s footprint, said Herren, but they will build a new wood-fired oven in the existing space.
No strangers to Edwardsville
Herren mentioned that they were approached by the city to bring another wood fired project to Edwardsville.
And operating a business in Edwardsville isn’t new to the Herrens.
Matt Herren was an original owner of 222 Artisan Bakery and co-founder of Goshen Coffee Roasters in Edwardsville.
Amy Herren (then Amy Zupanci) was the owner and chef of Fond, a restaurant that operated at 106 N. Main St. from 2008 to 2011.
There’s a lot going on in Edwardsville, and it’s fun to be part of the excitement, said Herren, adding that they’re happy to be part of Edwardsville’s development but still feel independent at the same time.
Their business will be “a nice, new independent place to go to,” she said.
Pâtisserie ‘29 and 1929 Pizza & Wine are slated to open in Edwardsville in early October.
About 1929 Pizza & Wine
The Herrens opened 1929 Pizza & Wine in December 2022.
Check out 1929 Pizza & Wine, currently located at 7 N. Wood River Ave. in Wood River. Hours are 5-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
For more info, visit 1929pizzaandwine.com or follow the Facebook page .
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