St. Louis Dining Scene Sees 16 Openings and 7 Closings in May 2026

ST. LOUIS, June 1, 2026 — The St. Louis metropolitan dining scene recorded 16 restaurant openings and seven closings during May 2026, making it one of the more active months for the city's food and beverage sector so far this year. The period brought three new Mexican restaurants, the metro area's first CAVA Mediterranean Grill, a Sonic the Hedgehog pop-up that drew visitors of all ages to the Delmar Loop, and a handful of closings including the sudden and lamented shuttering of The Shaved Duck in Tower Grove East.

The figures come from St. Louis Magazine dining editor George Mahe, whose monthly tracking of metro area restaurant activity serves as the city's most comprehensive public record of openings, closings and forthcoming concepts. The May count reflects activity through an early-month press date, with additional closings and openings confirmed through mid-May.

St. Louis Restaurant Closings in May 2026

The most discussed closing of the month was The Shaved Duck at 2900 Virginia Ave. in Tower Grove East, which shut its doors in mid-April without advance notice. The restaurant had been a neighbourhood anchor known for its smoked meats, burnt ends and signature Goo BBQ sauce. Mahe described the closure as sudden and lamented its loss.

Vincent Van Doughnut, the doughnut shop at 1072 Tower Grove Ave. in The Grove operated by Mike McKinlay, also permanently closed on April 10. St. Louis Magazine noted McKinlay is facing personal health challenges and extended well wishes. The closure marks the end of a concept that had become a distinctive part of the city's artisan bakery identity.

Sabroso Cocina Mexicana at 11146 Old St. Charles Rock Road shuttered on April 11. Italian restaurant Il Palato at 222 S. Bemiston in Clayton closed May 2. Station No. 3 at 10463 Manchester in Kirkwood announced its May 9 closure. Bistro La Floraison at 7637 Wydown in Clayton which opened in 2022 and had been sued by its landlord over unpaid rent and utilities, announced it will close May 30. Tasty Bowl at 51 Lincoln Highway in Fairview Heights closed May 1 but is reconcepting under the name Takumi All In One Eatery, set to reopen in mid-May.

CAVA Mediterranean Grill Opens First Metro St. Louis Location in Cottleville

Among the month's highest-profile openings was CAVA Mediterranean Grill at 4765 B Highway N in Cottleville, which opened April 17. The fast-casual Mediterranean chain known for customisable grain bowls, pita sandwiches and falafel operates its first metro St. Louis location at the Cottleville address. A second area location is already planned at 12340 Manchester, with an early August opening expected.

CAVA's arrival in the St. Louis market reflects a national expansion push by the Washington, D.C.-based chain, which has grown rapidly by targeting suburban retail corridors. For the Cottleville and broader St. Charles County dining market, the opening adds a nationally recognised fast-casual option to a corridor that has seen consistent retail and residential growth.

Three New Mexican Restaurants Debut in May 2026

May brought three new Mexican restaurant openings to the St. Louis area. Oaxaca Margarita Bar opened April 7 at 17084 N. Outer Road in Chesterfield as a second location of the local concept. Huatulco Mexican Bar & Grill opened April 10 at 9528 Manchester Road in Rock Hill, taking over the former Hangar space, with a liquor licence pending at opening. Rosalita's Cantina opened April 17 at 1421 Mexico Loop Road East in O'Fallon, Missouri the third metro area location for the cantina-style chain.

The three openings arrive against the backdrop of a national trend toward regional Mexican cuisine concepts, with operators increasingly differentiating between Tex-Mex, Oaxacan, coastal Mexican and traditional cantina formats rather than presenting undifferentiated Mexican menus.

Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café Pop-Up Draws Crowds at Nudo House

One of the month's more unusual additions came in the form of the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Café, a limited-run pop-up operating inside Nudo House at 6105-A Delmar from April 25 through June 28. The pop-up serves video game-themed food and beverages including a chili dog from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Mahe noted that visitors of all ages have been drawn to the experience since it opened. The pop-up capitalises on the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise momentum and represents a growing format where brands activate inside existing restaurant spaces rather than building standalone locations.

Shorty's Diner Brings Breakfast and Lunch to Westport

Shorty's Diner opened April 4 at 12004 Lackland Road in the Westport area, taking over a former Hardee's space. The opening represents the diner's first Missouri location, serving breakfast and lunch daily. The Westport placement gives the concept access to a business-dense corridor with strong daytime foot traffic from the adjacent office and hotel cluster.

Additional Openings Span Global Cuisines and Local Concepts

Among the month's other openings, Paris Baguette debuted April 30 at 9091 Olive Crossing in Olivette as the French-inspired bakery and café chain's first Missouri location. Salt + Smoke, the St. Louis-born barbecue concept, opened an additional location May 9 at 410 N. Main in Edwardsville, Illinois, extending the brand's reach across the river.

Kishimoto Mendo opened May 7 at 6394 Delmar taking over the former Get Jerked space bringing ramen and Japanese noodle cuisine to the Delmar Loop. Cibo Italia opened May 4 at 7489 Delmar in University City. Zhanglala Beef Noodles took over the Poke Doke space at 6316 Delmar on April 25. Bella's Coffee Cafe opened April 29 at 1021 Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis following a rebrand. Aldar Yemeni Restaurant & Cafe opened April 1 at 16524 Manchester in Ellisville. Fern Grove, described as a successor concept to Songbird, opened April 24 at 4476 Chouteau Ave. in the Forest Park Southeast corridor.

Other openings included Hibachi Hub inside Sushi Ai at 4 N. Central in Clayton on April 1; Ard Cafe at 905 Jungermann in St. Peters on April 11; Mabel Mae's at Head's Store at The Inns at St. Albans on April 3; Epic Hot Chicken at 14043 Manchester on April 25; Pop Pop Hurray's additional location at 1100 Locust in downtown St. Louis on April 25; Dumplings Plus at 6535 Delmar on May 4; Corner 17 at 8680 Olive inside Dierbergs on May 5; Capriotti's Sandwich Shop at 12536 Olive, Suite B in Creve Coeur on May 5 as its second metro location; and Swig at 13721 Manchester on May 1 as an additional location.

Dozens of St. Louis Restaurants Listed as Coming Soon

The coming-soon pipeline for the St. Louis area remains deep heading into summer 2026. Notable forthcoming concepts include Aubrey the replacement concept for Small Batch at 3001 Locust targeting a mid-May opening. Baia replaces Taha'a Twisted Tiki at 4199 Manchester. Jekyll & Hyde is set to open at 6100 Delmar in the former Prime 55 space on the Delmar Loop in late May. The Noble Crown takes over the Culpepper's space at 300 N. Euclid in the Central West End.

Longer-horizon openings include Elaia and Olio, both expected in November at 5162 Delmar, and ELEVATION by K. RENA, a new concept from chef Rob Connoley taking over the former Bulrush space at 3307 Washington Ave. in early summer. The Jefferson Arms building at 415 N. Tucker is positioned to become a dining hub, with Clandestino's Speakeasy, The Corner Vinyl Café, Nico's Bakery, Salonika and The Taco Turko Bar all slated to open inside the building during summer 2026. The Wash Ave Food Hall is expected to open at 1220 Washington in summer, replacing the Reign space.

Sweetie Pie's 2nd Act at 4900 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive also appears on the coming-soon list, marking a potential return for the beloved soul food brand at its historic north St. Louis address.

More information about Indian cuisine and its regional diversity can be explored through Indian cuisine history and traditions.

Businesses monitoring hospitality expansion trends can also explore restaurant industry growth trends for 2026 to understand how regional food concepts are shaping dining markets.