A local restaurant is on the hunt for an artistic eye.

Adam Kustra, owner and operator of local sandwich restaurant The U, is planning to expand the environment of his venue beyond its usual salads, burgers and chicken dishes with his upcoming contest. The U will be selecting at least one student from Saint Louis University to paint a mural on one of the restaurant walls.

“We might have two murals, depending on how the contest goes,” Kustra said

Applicants will submit ideas, and Kustra and the U’s staff will look at past portfolios.

“We’re leaving it fairly open-ended and [deciding] which will fit in best with the restaurant,” he said.

In addition to the contest, Kustra also has several ambitions for Midtown Alley. He says he believes the area is on the rise.

“The U, Pappy’s Smokehouse, Triumph Grill and The Good Pie are four of the restaurants that opened in 2008,” he said.

He also hopes to attract customers and make Midtown Alley more widely known with an upcoming street fest.

“This event will be the official branding of the neighborhood; we’ll call it the Alley for short,” Kustra said.

The goal is to make Midtown Alley recognizable as a neighborhood like The Loop or The Hill.

“We want Midtown Alley to be the place to go, eat and shop,” Kustra said, “The Alley will be focused a lot around the two major institutions [SLU and Washington University of St. Louis] and also several workplaces in the area.”

The fair should be happening sometime at the end of September, and information about the art contest should be released soon.

For more information about the neighborhood of Midtown Alley and its various establishments, visit www.midtownalley.com.

The U’s official website is www.theustl.com. It is located at 3108 Olive St.