Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille has opened at 3037 Olive Street, in the space that previously was Lush Nightclub.

A soft opening this week includes happy hour and dinner service; a grand opening featuring Kim Massie is Saturday, and full hours begin next week. The restaurant's owners originally had planned for a fall opening. 

Hamburger Mary's was started in San Francisco in 1972 and has franchise outlets in 10 cities, including Kansas City. While it markets to the gay community, the company calls itself "an open-air bar and grille for open-minded people."

The main attraction, the company says, is its half-pound burgers — "served with a hefty side of sass" — but the multilevel St. Louis Mary's also features a rooftop patio, a VIP lounge, a dining room with a stage, and a sports bar. A street-level patio and events such as karaoke nights, drag shows (the Miss Gay St. Louis 2012 pageant is already booked for Feb. 4-5) and bingo are down the road. As an added bonus, there's a new parking lot just east of the building. 

Mark Erney of Erney's 32º and the Loading Zone (closed since a fire in September), and his partner, Paul Holst, are leading the operating group. Midtown developers Mark Wegmann of Wegmann Companies and Jassen Johnson of Renaissance Development Associates are part of the investors group. Other partners are Frank Siano, Michael Tucker, Cynthia Washington, Tracey Moore and Jennifer Schaller.

Deb Peterson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

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Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille

Where 3037 Olive Street • More info 314-533-6279, hamburgermarys.com/stlouis, facebook.com/stlouismarys • Smoking No • Hours 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Monday-Friday, 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday