A popular businessman who ran a St. Louis frozen custard company passed away at the age of 96 this week.
Ted Drewes Jr., whose family confirmed that he died on Monday August 26, took over his father’s business in the frozen dessert industry after dabbling in athletic opportunities as a young man. Ted Sr., the late businessman’s father, first opened Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in 1929.
Although the first shop was located in St. Petersburg, Florida, Ted Sr. later opened the first store in St. Louis, Missouri. This shop, opened in 1930, was followed by a second location in the city the next year and a third that opened in 1941. Two locations—including the initial spot in Florida—shut down by 1958, but the two remaining shops are still open and running today.
Prior to taking over the family business, which he did when his father died, Drewes was a star tennis player, crack rifleman, and speed roller skater. But the business was far from just a way to support a family. The Drewes custard business was a way to bring people together over the generations—both locals to St. Louis and visitors.
One customer who stopped by the shop on a trip to the area from the United Kingdom described the custard place as “very unique,” a characteristic which made him “really like it.” And thanks to the impact it had on tourists and locals alike, the Drewes family business made its mark on the city.
Matt Brey, another customer, said that there have been “millions of people” who came to buy the custard and “enjoyed” the business, which he said is a special “legacy” that “very few people get to leave.”
In a statement, the family of the beloved dessert businessman remembered Drewes as having an “unwavering” commitment and love for “faith, family, and [the] city.” They noted that he was a native of St. Louis and “loved the city” which he knew as home throughout “his entire life.”
The family also praised his “legacy,” which they said will persist as “memories” are shared by customers enjoying the custard as a “symbol of warmth and tradition” which will “bring joy to generations to come.”
