Spencer's Grill is closed in Kirkwood as owner seeks new buyer

Seventy-seven years is a very long time in the restaurant business, and the closure of Spencer’s Grill (223 S. Kirkwood Road) last weekend appeared to bring an end to a long-running chapter in Kirkwood dining. Unless, that is, somebody steps in to save this beloved institution. 

According to Ben Strake, president of Premier Business Brokers, the chance of a new buyer saving Spencer's is anything but slim. Strake is handling the sale of the diner on behalf of Spencer's Grill owner Alex Campbell, who took over ownership from his mother, Lisa Campbell, in 2017.

Indeed, in the 24 hours since St. Louis Magazine first reported the news of Spencer's Grill's closure, it sounds like a number of prospective buyers are knocking at the door. Strake said he has been approached by more than 40 interested parties: many with restaurant business experience, some without. “It says a lot about the Kirkwood community that so many people have reached out and said they’ll do whatever it takes,” he said. 

Campbell thanked Spencer's Grill's customers in a Facebook post on Monday. “Thank you to all of our loyal customers. We are so grateful to have been a part of your lives for the last decade. Serving you and the Kirkwood community has been an honor,” he said. The post also provided Strake’s contact information and invited interested parties to get in contact.

Spencer's Grill's original owners, Bill and Irene Spencer, first opened the doors to the 47-seat restaurant in 1947. That’s when – according to the Webster-Kirkwood Times – a coffee cost 5 cents and breakfast (seven days a week) was a quarter. We know those sorts of prices are things of the past; we’re just hoping Spencer’s Grill isn’t.