Six St. Louis-area restaurants and one grocery store are announcing plans to close by the end of the month.
Salt + Smoke
The local barbecue chain is closing its Hampton and Ellisville locations on August 1st, bringing its total down from eight locations to six. In a social media post, founders Tom and Haley Schmidt cited the difficulty of managing growth. "To all the people that we have worked with over the years at these locations, we cannot thank you enough for choosing to spend your time with us and for the hard work and passion you bring," they wrote, adding the company has updated its menu and is focused on consistency across remaining locations in the Delmar Loop, Ballpark Village, St. Charles, south St. Louis County, Kirkwood, and Edwardsville.
Crushed Red
The chopped salad concept is closing its Manchester Rd in west county and St. Charles locations, effective immediately. Four St. Louis-area locations remain open in Clayton, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, and Chesterfield.
Baileys’ Range and Baileys’ Chocolate Bar
Restaurateur Dave Bailey is shutting both Baileys' Range in Shaw and also the legendary date spot Baileys' Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square as of August 1st. Bailey told the Post-Dispatch he wants to focus on his two Rooster breakfast restaurants, which served 800 customers last Sunday alone. "I don’t want anything dragging Rooster down," he told the Post. The closures come as two of Bailey's companies are in bankruptcy reorganization, stemming from rising costs and an unsuccessful Rooster location in Clayton that closed last fall.
Ruler Foods
The most significant closure for neighborhood access may be Ruler Foods at 2700 S. Grand Blvd. in Tower Grove East, which closes July 31st. Ruler is Kroger's discount grocery banner, the same category as Save-A-Lot and Aldi. Ruler stores are the only Kroger Co. presence in the St. Louis market after mainline stores closed in 1986. The next-door Family Dollar has already shut down. Neighbors say the store was their only walkable, affordable grocery option. Kroger announced in 2025 it planned to close about 60 stores nationally. Ruler Foods locations in St. Charles, north St. Louis County, and the Metro East will remain open.
Street signage for the Ruler Foods grocery store on South GrandKMOX/Michael Calhoun
