What St. Louis Magazine does

St. Louis Magazine is a privately held regional lifestyle publication founded in 1963 and operated by SLM Media Group, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The publication serves the St. Louis metropolitan area with a multi-platform content portfolio covering dining, arts and culture, news, business, design, health, and family topics. Its editorial coverage spans 11 named neighborhoods, an events calendar with over 6,679 archived listings, and decades of curated restaurant reviews and dining guides led by a dining editor with 35 years of market tenure.

The product suite centers on a print and digital magazine subscription business, supplemented by a five-podcast network (Arch Eats, The 314 Podcast, House of Lou, Fast Forward STL, BizSTL), four email newsletters (St. Louis Daily, Dining Out, Dining In, Weekend), ticketed signature events (St. Louis Supper Club, Excellence in Nursing Awards, Architect & Designer Awards), the annual A-List Reader's Choice Awards, an interactive games section, and a merchandise and custom-plaque store. Digital editions are distributed via Zinio, event ticketing via EventBrite, and merchandise via Shopify; the print issue is available at nine retail chains across the region.

Revenue is generated through print and digital subscriptions (offering 68% off newsstand pricing), retail newsstand sales, display and sponsored-content advertising across multiple vertical-specific franchises (Top Doctors, Top Dentists, Top Senior Care, Faces of St. Louis, Summer Camp Guide), ticketed event revenue, event sponsorships led by presenting sponsors such as ReeceNichols Real Estate, and the newly launched St. Louis Insider membership program. The customer base is a hybrid of B2C readers/subscribers across the St. Louis metro area and B2B advertisers spanning restaurants, healthcare, real estate, design, and family-services sectors.

Name

St. Louis Magazine

Legal name

SLM Media Group

Website

https://stlmag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

St. Louis Magazine, founded 1963 and operated by SLM Media Group, is a privately held regional lifestyle publication serving the St. Louis metro area with a print and digital magazine, five podcasts, four newsletters, ticketed events, and awards programs. It monetizes through subscriptions, advertising, events, sponsorships, and a paid membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Lifestyle Magazine

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN), Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Regional lifestyle magazine
• Digital publishing
• Podcast network
• Event ticketing
• Advertising sales

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from print and digital magazine subscriptions. Includes annual subscriptions with promotional discounts (68% off newsstand) and gift subscriptions.
2. Newsstand/Retail Sales: One-time magazine sales through retail partners including CVS, Dierbergs, Fresh Thyme, Schnucks, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Straubs, and Barnes & Noble.
3. Advertising: Revenue from display advertising, sponsored content, branded content partnerships, and advertising in the magazine and on stlmag.com. Includes sponsored content sections like Faces of St. Louis, Top Doctors Guide, and branded travel guides.
4. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue from ticketed events including St. Louis Supper Club ($95 per ticket includes five-course dinner, drinks, gratuity), A-List awards participation, Excellence in Nursing Awards, and Architect & Designer Awards. Sponsorships include presenting sponsors (ReeceNichols Real Estate) and supporting sponsors.
5. Merchandise and Products: Sale of custom plaques featuring magazine articles, gift subscriptions, back issue purchases, and merchandise through the online store.
6. Digital Subscriptions and Content: Digital edition subscriptions through Zinio platform, online content access, and newsletter subscriptions driving reader engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Louis Magazine publishes a regional lifestyle magazine (print and digital editions) covering St. Louis-area dining, arts, culture, news, business, design, health, and family topics, distributed via subscriptions and major retail chains. The core offering is expanded through branded podcasts, email newsletters, ticketed dining and awards events, and a premium membership program, with revenue generated from consumer subscriptions, advertising, event tickets, and sponsorships.

Product overview

St. Louis Magazine is a regional lifestyle publication operated by SLM Media Group that offers a multi-platform content portfolio centered around its print and digital magazine. The core magazine covers dining, culture, arts, business, health, family, and design content. The product suite extends through five branded podcasts (Arch Eats, The 314 Podcast, House of Lou, Fast Forward STL, The BizSTL Podcast), the St. Louis Supper Club ticketed dining experience, the annual A-List Reader's Choice Awards, interactive games, an events calendar, and multiple email newsletters (St. Louis Daily, Dining Out, Dining In, Weekend). Premium membership (St. Louis Insider) provides early access to Supper Club tickets. Digital distribution includes Zinio platform, while retail availability extends through CVS, Dierbergs, Fresh Thyme, Schnucks, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Straubs, and Barnes & Noble.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The 314 Podcast: St. Louis Magazine's executive editor Sarah Fenske discusses stories and challenges in St. Louis, released every other Thursday.
• Arch Eats
• House of Lou
• Fast Forward STL
• BizSTL Podcast
• St. Louis Supper Club
• A-List Reader's Choice Awards
• St. Louis Daily

Products and services

• St. Louis Magazine Print Subscription
• St. Louis Magazine Digital Edition
• Arch Eats Podcast
• The 314 Podcast
• House of Lou Podcast
• Fast Forward STL Podcast
• The BizSTL Podcast
• Inside the Architect & Designer Awards Podcast
• St. Louis Supper Club
• A-List Reader's Choice Awards
• St. Louis Magazine Insider Membership
• St. Louis Magazine Games
• St. Louis Daily Newsletter
• Dining Out Newsletter
• Dining In Newsletter
• Weekend Newsletter
• St. Louis Events Calendar
• Plaques and Reprints
• Ask George Column

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 130,000 nominations cast in A-List Reader's Choice Awards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• ReeceNichols Real EstateflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2026Presenting sponsor for St. Louis Supper Club fine dining event series. ReeceNichols Real Estate provides primary sponsorship visibility for the premium ticketed dining experience featuring multi-course meals at undisclosed St. Louis restaurants.
• Dave Sinclair Lincoln St. LouisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for St. Louis Supper Club events, providing secondary sponsorship support for the dining event series.
• Kind GoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for St. Louis Supper Club events, cannabis-related brand participating as event supporter.
• Design & DetailcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Inside the Architect & Designer Awards podcast, taking listeners behind the scenes into the creative process of award-winning designers.
• EventBritecoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent ticketing platform used for St. Louis Supper Club ticket sales and event registration management.
• ZiniocoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital magazine distribution platform for St. Louis Magazine digital editions and subscriptions.
• Retail Distribution Partners (CVS, Dierbergs, Fresh Thyme, Schnucks, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Straubs, Barnes & Noble)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational and regional retail chains carrying St. Louis Magazine for single-copy newsstand sales in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cincinnati Magazine: City-focused regional lifestyle magazine serving the Cincinnati metro with dining, culture, and Best Of awards programs. Closely comparable business model, content mix, and event-driven revenue approach to St. Louis Magazine.
• Indianapolis Monthly: Regional city magazine covering Indianapolis dining, culture, and neighborhoods with a similar mix of print subscription, events, and Best Of reader-voted awards. Operates at a comparable mid-market regional scale.
• Chicago Magazine: Established regional city magazine for a major US metro with dining, culture, business, and events coverage. Larger scale but nearly identical product format and revenue mix to St. Louis Magazine.
• Philadelphia Magazine: Regional lifestyle publication combining a monthly magazine with strong digital, events, and Best Of awards programs. Highly comparable in audience engagement model and revenue diversification.
• Atlanta Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine covering Atlanta dining, culture, home, and business with subscription, advertising, and event revenue streams. Directly comparable format and mid-tier metro positioning.
• Seattle Met: City-focused lifestyle magazine covering food, culture, and home in the Seattle metro. Similar mix of dining reviews, neighborhood guides, and signature events.
• Boston Magazine: Long-running regional magazine covering dining, culture, and lifestyle in Greater Boston. Comparable in legacy brand strength, dining authority, and event-driven revenue model.
• Nashville Lifestyles: Regional lifestyle magazine for a high-growth US metro covering dining, entertainment, and home. Comparable content mix, scale, and growing-events business model.
• San Diego Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine covering dining, culture, and health in the San Diego metro with similar subscription, event, and Best Of programs. Closely comparable mid-market regional operation.

Broad incumbents

• Time Out: Global city-guide media brand covering dining, culture, and events across many metros including some in the US. Comparable content category and event business, but operates as a multi-city digital-first incumbent rather than a single-market print legacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf
• Xx.com/stlmag
• Facebookfacebook.com/stlmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/71477

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Louis Magazine