Crushed Red to open in Edwardsville

St. Louis born and bred Crushed Red Urban Bake & Chop shop will open its next location in Edwardsville. Located on the ground floor of a new construction building at 222 E. Park St., this will mark the fourth location for co-founder and chief expansion officer Powell Kalish and CEO Chris LaRocca.

“We’ve been looking for several years for a location in Edwardsville, but couldn’t find the right spot,” said LaRocca. “Our concept makes sense for the area and for the lifestyle of the Edwardsville consumer.”

When it opens in late fall, the restaurant will accommodate 102 diners inside with an additional 40 or so patrons on a patio. The menu of chopped salads, soups and pizzas will be the same as other area locations and will be included in Crushed Red’s Limited Time Offer menu trials where new menu items are tested.

“If we get a good response, we consider that items for permanent menu placement,” said La Rocca, who said the This Pear is on Fire Salad was one of the successful LTO offerings.

LaRocca and Kalish plan to open four locations in 2016 including one in Columbia, Missouri and two additional unannounced locations.