Former entertainer and restaurateur, Robbie Montgomery, plans to invest millions in North St. Louis … again.
“I don’t have a problem going in the ‘hood. I’m from the ‘hood; I ain’t scared!”
Robbie Montgomery
More than 30 years ago, Montgomery opened Sweetie Pie’s soul food restaurant in Dellwood followed by a location in the Grove area (now closed) and another, Sweetie Pie’s Upper Crust, on Delmar in the Grand Arts District, which closed in 2022.
Her estimated $7 million vision will be in north St. Louis on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive near Kingshighway. The venture will include “Sweetie Pie’s 2nd Act,” an event space next door and other commercial and residential projects.
A part of Montgomery’s comeback is based on a $1.5 million grant she was awarded from the city of St. Louis’ $37 million in federal pandemic money dedicated to North Side businesses and nonprofits. Unfortunately, she said, because the program is currently under scrutiny, she hasn’t received a check yet.
The holdup, Montgomery asserts, is all about politics and race.
“It’s a shame,” Montgomery said.
“When the ‘other’ people ran this city, nobody opened their mouths when they put no money over on the north side. Now that there’s money available, everybody’s jumping up and acting all crazy over it.”
Montgomery purchased an abandoned building in the 4900 block of MLK Blvd. that was built as a movie theater in the 1920s, became an A&P grocery store in the 1960s and early ‘70s then a Family Dollar discount store before it was shuttered a few years ago.
Even without knowing when (or if) she’ll receive her grant money, Montgomery is moving forward. She has options on vacant lots in the two blocks surrounding her proposed restaurant and hopes other entrepreneurs will join her.
“We as Black people need to get together and buy up this property and bring it back. That’s what I’m trying to do,” she said.
Montgomery, 84, said she wants to revisit that time when Black people crowded Wellston on MLK (formerly Easton Ave.) every weekend to shop. She also remembers places like Freidman’s Railroad Salvage on Easton Avenue near Kingshighway, where people bought furniture, groceries, cars and clothing from other local businesses.
“This part of Easton had nothing but businesses and families,” Montgomery recalled. “When you walked down the street, people spoke to one another … ‘How you doing?’ It was that southern hospitality thing.”
She’s embracing the idea of kicking off an economic renaissance in a long-neglected part of north St. Louis.
“I’m right in the ‘hood where nobody else wants to come,” Montgomery said. “I don’t have a problem going in the ‘hood. I’m from the ‘hood; I ain’t scared!”
Indeed.
Robbie Marie Montgomery was born on June 16, 1940, in Columbus, Miss. At the age of six, her parents moved Robbie and her six brothers, James, Walter, Robert, George, and Everett and two sisters Linda and Janice to St. Louis.
She attended Pruitt Elementary School, then Vashon High School after it moved to the former Herbert S. Hadley Vocational School building at 3405 Bell Ave. After graduating high school, Montgomery said she worked at Billy Burke’s restaurant, near Sumner High School, “flipping burgers.”
While living in the Pruitt-Igoe Housing Projects, Montgomery participated in school talent shows and sang in the church choir. She makes her transition into the music scene seem seamless.
She and a group of girls from her building formed a singing group called the “Rhythmettes.” At that time, Montgomery recalled, there were a lot of “ettes,” female backup singers like Ike Turner’s “Ikettes” and Ray Charles’ “Raelettes.”
The Rhythmettes were discovered by a man she called “Mr. Goodlow,” who lived in the projects, put on talent shows and wound up managing her group. Goodlow hooked her group up with legendary rhythm and blues singer, Art Lassiter. The “Rhythmettes” became the “Artettes,” singing alongside Lassiter.
Lassiter eventually formed a band, called the Bel-Airs, who by 1955 were recording and singing backup for Ike Turner. The “Artettes” eventually became the “Ikettes,” featuring future superstar Tina Turner.
The group recorded the hit song, “Fool In Love” in 1959. After a brief stint with Chicago blues guitarist Earl Hooker, Montgomery officially joined Ike & Tina’s band in 1961 and started traveling the world.
From 1968 to 1988, Montgomery recorded and sang background for groups like the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd and spent eight years as a “Nighttripper” backing up New Orleans blues, jazz, R&B, soul and funk musician Dr. John. Throughout her career, she sang behind B.B. King, Barbra Streisand, Debbie Reynolds, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder and other well-known artists.
Health concerns caused Montgomery to quit singing and touring. She came back to her hometown and had to find a “regular job.” It was a humbling experience.
“I’d been all over the world and had to come back and work a job. I wasn’t rich when I quit singing rich so, I just swallowed that pride,” Montgomery laughed.
Oprah Winfrey’s company, OWN, found Montgomery when they were looking for a restaurant for a possible reality TV series. Apparently, the “sizzle reel” which captured a sassy and savvy Montgomery along with her humorous and entertaining family beat out other contenders and Montgomery was offered a seven-year contract on Winfrey’s network.
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” which premiered in 2011, was filmed at Montgomery’s Grove and Grand Center locations. The popularity of the show drew busloads of fans from across the country. The ninth and final season premiered in 2018.
The closure of the Upper Crust location came in 2022 after Montgomery’s son, Tim Norman, was found guilty of arranging his nephew Andre Montgomery’s death to get a $450,000 life insurance policy. He has since been sentenced to life in prison.
Although Montgomery loves St. Louis, she expressed frustration with the litany of rumors and social media allegations that the Grand Center restaurant’s closure was related to her son’s crime.
“I’m not the only mother with a son in prison or who has been in trouble … that had nothing to do with it,” Montgomery fumed, stressing the real reason the eatery closed.
Montgomery has led an economic resurgence in two neighborhoods. Arguably, the Grove or the Grand Center was what they are today before Sweetie Pie’s pioneered the terrain and drew thousands of locals and tourists into those areas.
“These are my stomping grounds; this is where I lived and I’m gonna do whatever I have to do,” Montgomery said, alluding to the unknown status of her business grant.
“I’ll sell chicken on the corner if I have to, but I’m gonna make this work!”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
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