Kevin McKernan operates several classic neighborhood establishments that seem to be dwindling in number. Along with his wife Erin, he oversees Donut Drive-In, a straightforward shop located in Lindenwood Park. They also manage Epiphany Lanes, a laid-back bowling alley that was previously run by a Catholic parish, which still shares the parking area. McKernan is the founder of The Improv Shop, and together, they own Cafe Manhattan and Blackthorn Pub as well.
While these businesses may not appear to have much in common at first glance, McKernan views them differently. “It’s about genuine human connection in these unique spaces where people interact, observe each other, and ideally, the outcome is smiles, happiness, or simply, ‘Oh, this is fun,’” he shares in a recent episode of The 314 Podcast. He sees them as a refreshing touch of local character in an increasingly homogenized world.
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McKernan, who still teaches part-time at Saint Louis University High School, grew up in St. Louis Hills. He ventured away for college at Indiana University and later explored improv comedy in Chicago. However, it was upon returning to his hometown that he discovered his passion for entrepreneurship. Yet, it was never about merely running a business; it stemmed from his desire to engage in improv.
“No one was doing what I wanted to do,” he explains. “If a theater had already existed, I would have simply joined it. But since it didn’t, I had to create it.” He emphasizes, “For me, it’s all about problem and solution. The problem was a lack of improv theaters. The solution? Build one. This process brings up a series of new challenges, and you just keep tackling the next little issue.” Before he knew it, he was not only the owner of an improv theater but also two doughnut shops (with Donut Drive-In now having a sister location, Donut Drive-Up in Brentwood), a bowling alley, a pizza place, a cafe, and a recording studio (Gaslight Studio & Lounge, which is currently not open to the public, though McKernan is brainstorming ideas for it). He manages to make it look effortless.
In this journey, he acknowledges the support of his wife Erin, whom he has known since childhood in St. Louis Hills. (Both attended St. Gabe’s, where he humorously compares their dynamic to a John Hughes movie, saying, “I was Anthony Michael Hall and she was whoever”—the character uninterested in dating him.) Today, he is the dreamer with countless ideas, while she is the capable manager ensuring everything runs smoothly. “She loves Excel. I hardly know what it does,” he admits. They are now raising their 8-year-old son in the same neighborhood where they grew up, enjoying a remarkably Leave It to Beaver lifestyle with both sets of grandparents living just down the street.
As they expand their business ventures, the McKernans have learned valuable lessons—primarily, the importance of hiring competent individuals to oversee daily operations. By viewing challenges as solvable problems, he has successfully modernized businesses that seemed stuck in time, all while keeping their loyal clientele happy. For instance, he highlights the pizza sauce at Blackthorn Pub, which they acquired in 2024. “People were saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s so spicy.’ And I explained, ‘Yeah, but that’s what makes it special.’ All we did was add an option for non-spicy.”
Additionally, customers can now place online orders for their doughnuts. Despite this technological advancement, the experience remains reminiscent of 40 years ago. “We don’t top our doughnuts with Captain Crunch,” McKernan assures. “Everything else is unchanged. And if you want to step into a time capsule and feel like it’s 1953, you can.”
For McKernan, this approach may not be the most conventional way to maximize profits, but that’s perfectly fine with him. He has different aspirations. “My wife and I joke that I passed away at 13 and now I’m living in a simulation of a 13-year-old boy’s dream. I feel like a child who’s like, ‘Oh, I have a bowling alley. I have a place to grab a beer with friends, and I have this girl I like.’ If I reflect on what captivated me at 13, what was wonderful about St. Louis and living in the city, I’m fortunate to be living in that world now.”
