CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A restaurant in Chesterfield is closing due to the financial burden of COVID-19.
Russell’s Café & Bakery will close its doors on Sept. 27. The family-owned business will continue to operate the original Russell’s Café & Bakery in Fenton and Russell’s on Macklind in St. Louis.
The Chesterfield location opened in 2017.
“This has been the hardest decision of my career, but we have to do what’s best to maintain the business that we’ve built over the last 15 years," Chef Russell Ping said. Our restaurants have always operated with a focus on quality product, community involvement, commitment to our core values and responsible local sourcing.
"We are incredibly thankful for the time that we have spent in Chesterfield. We cannot express enough gratitude towards guests that made our Chesterfield location part of their daily lives. This is the end of a chapter, but we are excited to spend some time shifting thoughts back to our roots at Fenton and Macklind, getting creative, enjoying what we do, and maybe spending a little more time at home.”
According to a press release, the restaurant group will focus on the two restaurants and define the locations as two different concepts under a unified brand. The original Russell’s Café & Bakery will focus on expanding bakery selections, unique breakfast and lunch offerings, corporate catering and an elevated coffee program in the current counter service model.
"The overhead of a 4,000-s/f space can simply not be sustained with 25% seating and takeout business. This has been the hardest decision of my career, but we have to do what’s best to maintain the business that we’ve built over the last 15 years," Ping said on Instagram.
Russell’s on Macklind will continue as the full-service neighborhood restaurant focusing on dinner through the week as well as weekend brunch.
Ping originally opened Russell’s Café & Bakery in Fenton with his mother Kate in 2006 at the age of 22.
The Chesterfield location is the latest of multiple restaurants that have cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for closing.
