ST. LOUIS — Sweetie Pie's, the famous St. Louis restaurant at the center of reality TV show "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" on the Oprah Winfrey Network, announced Tuesday it was closing the doors to its remaining Upper Crust location.
A steady stream of hungry fans stopped by the location near Grand Center, hoping to find some of the food that made it a St. Louis staple, instead leaving with a side of bad news.
"I am so sad. We have come around here for years. My kids were raised coming here," customer Troi-Jeanna Edwards said.
The restaurant's closing after 25 years of soul food service and success that reached far beyond The Lou with a reality show focused on owner Robbie Montgomery and her family.
It's the show that drew Louisiana visitor Helen Jordan to the restaurant Wednesday.'
"I asked my husband and my grandson also, 'What is St. Louis known for?' and they both said Sweetie Pie's, so I said 'Let’s go to Sweetie Pie's and eat lunch then,'" she said after reading taking photos in front of the restaurant.
"Here we are, and it's closed. And now we found out it is closing permanently," she added.
According to an Instagram announcement from owner Robbie Montgomery, the 3643 Delmar Boulevard location will close 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 to make room for the John Cochran V.A. Medical Center expansion.
"We thank each and every one of you for your 25 years of support," the post reads. "It's been a pleasure to serve you, your friends, and family. We hope to have an opportunity to serve you in the future."
"Big project. Big investment," VA Director of Major Project Service Gary Drikow said of the project which covers 700 thousand square feet, creating a new ICU, new emergency department, and a 30-bed spinal cord unit among other things. It's one of the largest infrastructure investments by the federal government in St. Louis city history.
"This will be an influx of over $2 billion into the local economy of St. Louis during the construction of the project it will support approximately 9,000 full-time jobs during construction. A great thing for the economy and veterans," Drikow said.
The closing announcement came less than a week after a jury found Montgomery's son, Tim Norman, guilty in a murder-for-hire plot against her grandson, Andre Montgomery Jr., in 2016.
Norman's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
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