Owner: Beefed Up Dining Crowd Saves Fatted Calf

restaurant in Clayton will remain open thanks to a dramatic increase in its dining crowd, owner Kathleen Portman said Wednesday.

unless business substantially grew. The restaurant had been serving 100 people daily and needed to double that number. It now has begun serving 200 people daily, sometimes more, she said.

"There's no question that St. Louis responded with gusto, and we've been really busy every day," Portman said. She attributes much of the increase to media coverage of the possible closure, and she said she is grateful for the work they and others did to spread the word.

Portman said people have accused her of using the sign as a marketing scheme, but she insists she and her husband, Jason, debated for months about whether to post it at all. Ultimately, it came down to an eleventh-hour decision, she said.

The restaurant will retain all 15 of its employees.