Twenty years ago, Jazz at the Bistro launched in the former in a former cafeteria in midtown St. Louis, and since then has been lauded by many as one of the premiere live jazz spots in the U.S. The venue is operated by Jazz St. Louis, a not-for-profit organization established after the closing of the Just Jazz program at the Hotel Majestic. The Jazz St. Louis mandate is straightforward: "Present jazz the way it's meant to be experienced."