Manfred Zettl

Manfred Zettl died on Friday 30 October 2026, aged 85. His family's care was handled by Chapel Hill Mortuary in Kirkwood, and his obituary was published on 5 November. The cause of death was not made public. A memorial gathering was set for 16 November 2026 at Oak Hill Funeral Home in Kirkwood, open to all friends, acquaintances and admirers, and the family asked for memorial gifts to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

His death was marked by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch food columnist Daniel Neman and by the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Manfred Zettl was born in Salzburg, Austria, the son of August Zettl and Anna Zettl, born Eschbacher. He had a sister, Gustie. He trained as a cook at the Austrian Hotel School.

As a young chef he worked aboard the Holland America liner SS Rotterdam, and by the age of 25 he had travelled around the world four times. According to his family's obituary, he helped prepare the state dinner for President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable.

Zettl moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1963 and became executive chef at Famous-Barr, the department store chain whose flagship downtown store housed a celebrated Tea Room. As head chef he oversaw the food served across the company's 32 restaurants.

Famous-Barr's French onion soup had been developed by Erich Dahl, the store's director of food and beverage, with executive chef Thomas Ferrario. Zettl took the recipe and perfected it, and it became one of the most fondly remembered dishes in St. Louis.

Inspired by his sister's diabetes, he co founded The Slimmery, whose low calorie desserts were sold across the United States.

Zettl was president of the St. Louis chapter of the American Culinary Federation from 1970 to 1972 and helped win recognition of executive chefs as professionals in 1976. His team placed second for the United States at the 1988 Culinary Olympics. He later received a Five Star, Five Diamond Award at the St. Louis Woman's Club, and in 2000 he was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs as a Certified Executive Chef.

Zettl was an avid photographer and loved fishing and the outdoors. He was the father of four children with Judith Ann Zettl: Stephan Howard Zettl, who died before him, Brigitte Zettl, Victoria Allen and Manfred Peter Zettl Jr. He had four grandchildren.

Famous-Barr has long since disappeared, but its French onion soup remains one of the city's best loved food memories, and Zettl is remembered as the chef who perfected it. Within his profession he is also remembered for his work with the American Culinary Federation to raise the standing of executive chefs.