Zoë Robinson, former Clayton mom and restaurant owner, plans to open new restaurant Billie-Jean in the late fall along the same strip of Wydown as her other two restaurants, I Fratellini and Bar Les Freres. She sat down with the Globe to talk about her experience in the business.

Q: What have you learned about the restaurant business?

A: Restaurants don’t have that long a shelf-life. You either become an institution, or you have to change it up. I’m always evolving, and people do evolve, but I think that you have to take your business along with you. And I don’t think that’s just for restaurant business. You just have to constantly be growing.

Q: Tell us about your involvement in the Clayton School District.

A: I have two kids. One is 23 and one is 22. They used to come for lunch from Clayton High School. Not every day, but a lot, and their friends always wanted to come. And when they went to Wydown, they’d say, ‘Can you bring us lunch today?’ and I would just zip down.

Q: What do you think is important in a successful restaurant?

A: I think that food, of course, is the most important element. But I’m also driven by aesthetics, atmosphere, transporting you. I want you to feel like you are somewhere else, not necessarily in St. Louis. Not that I don’t want to be in St. Louis, I just want you to feel like, oh my gosh, this is so not like my world or my home or my school or my workplace. This is just completely different.

Q: What inspired I Fratellini?

A: I had an Asian restaurant in the Central West End for 13 years, and I really wanted to do another project. I went to Italy a couple times and I just thought, I’m doing this. We’re going to open a little [restaurant] and it’s gonna rock. So my chef in [the] Asian [restaurant], Ni Vance Li, and I said, “Get your visa, we’re going to Italy.” He and I went, and we took some cooking classes together, dined a lot. Italian food is so simplistic; it’s about the ingredients, and, of course, executing them properly. That’s what inspired that restaurant.

Q: What do you like about the restaurant business?

A: Everything. I like the unpredictability. Every day is different. I never feel like work is a grind. Sometimes I’m tired, sometimes I’m a nervous wreck, sometimes I’m in a puddle of tears, but it’s always a challenge. I get to be as creative as I want, especially here, we can restage the dining room on a dime, do private events, bring all the furniture out, bring different furniture in, we’ve got like a warehouse downstairs. You know, I get to design these parties with people, I get to do special menus for them. Everything about it. I love I Fratellini. I love what I do. I’m so lucky.

Q: What advice do you have for students entering the business world?

A: I’m not saying it’s bad to work for other people, but I think working for yourself is it. [To my staff], I try to be as kind as I can, as supportive as I can. It doesn’t always work, but for the most part I think that’s how I have created a loyal staff. Compensation is one thing, but also I just think kindness and compassion are huge. Like, yes, they might be able to go to 801 Fish and make more money, but are they going to have the same experience as they would here, the same treatment as they have here?

Q: Tell us about your upcoming restaurant.

A: I just sold another restaurant called Bobo. I sold that in December. Having three restaurants, but having one that’s not right here, was very difficult. Even though it’s so close by and we thought, ‘Oh, piece of cake,’ it was awful. But anyway, I sold that to a friend in order to do the new restaurant. It’s good timing now. It’s perfect. That one’s going to be contemporary American cuisine, simple, it’ll have a good size bar. And the décor is gonna be killer.

Q: What lessons have you learned working in the restaurant industry?

A: I learn a lesson every day. Working in the restaurant business, when you’re in this industry, it is the hospitality industry, and that means you have to be as kind, and generous, and caring as you possibly can. And I think that’s what’s wonderful about this. I’m a natural nurturer, and love feeding people – my kids call me the feeder, like don’t put any more food in front of me, just leave me alone. But I love doing that for people, so what better business. I love when they walk in the door and I can hang their coats and make them feel special, and make them feel [like] I’m here for you and I want to make this a fantastic night.