Lulu’s Local Eatery on South Grand has closed permanently

Lulu’s Local Eatery has closed permanently at 3201 S. Grand Blvd. in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis.

A statement on the vegan restaurant’s Instagram feed said that the restaurant’s owners were “unable to continue,” without elaborating on the reasons behind the closure.

The vegan restaurant started life as a vegetarian food truck in April 2012, before original owners Robbie Tucker and Lauren “Lulu” Loomis, established the restaurant at the corner of South Grand Boulevard and Wyoming Street in 2014. Items like Lulu’s jackfruit tacos, tater tots and crunch wraps made the restaurant a popular destination for vegan eating in South City.

Tucker and Loomis closed the restaurant during the pandemic, before selling to new owners in the summer of 2020. The restaurant reopened in the fall of 2020, but challenges quickly mounted up for the new owners, as they detailed in announcing Lulu’s closure. First, they operated as a takeout-only restaurant for a year; then Lulu’s was closed for a year while the restaurant underwent a significant remodel; acquiring a liquor license had also been a protracted process. The restaurant finally reopened in April 2023, but just four months later, Lulu’s is saying farewell.

“It has been hard since the pandemic,” the statement read. “I’m sorry we have to end this way, [and] wish things were better.” They finished by thanking customers and the community for “so much love and support,” teasing the possibility that Lulu’s could return again in the future in some form. “We appreciated every single one of you and hopefully we will see you again!” the statement ended.

Lulu’s Local Eatery did not respond to a request for additional comment.