St. Louis diner Gotham & Eggs needs to raise $50,000 to survive

The owners of the South Grand spot say they are 'beginning to lose energy and hope'

South Grand’s Gotham & Eggs is set to celebrate its first anniversary next month — if it can make it that long. 

The superhero-themed diner at 3139 S. Grand Blvd. put out a plea for financial assistance from its community this week. Co-owner Shani Knight is hoping to raise $50,000 through GoFundMe and wrote of the restaurant’s various challenges on the fundraising platform.

As of Friday afternoon, the restaurant had raised $800 from 15 donors.

“We have had to strip and re-wax the floors, battle multiple plumbing issues, have been broken in to twice, had to pay for walk-in freezer repairs three times as well as many other large expenses and repairs that come along with inheriting equipment in questionable condition,” she wrote.

Gotham & Eggs was one of several South Grand businesses that burglars targeted on June 28. The thieves broke in through the back deck window and tried and failed to steal a safe bolted to the floor, KSDK reported. The diner was also robbed in September.

“We have to now spend $800 to $900 if we want to replace the glass window. It’s just not worth it for these kids to keep breaking into these businesses," she told KSDK.

On the GoFundMe, Knight wrote that all the various expenses have depleted her and her husband, Jason Knight, financially, and without external funds they might not be able to pay for the repairs or cover overhead expenses.

“We have been actively treading water and are beginning to lose energy and hope,” Knight wrote. “We greatly appreciate any support in keeping us going and pulling us out of the deep end.”

Gotham & Eggs opened on August 2 last year in the space on South Grand that formerly was home to City Diner, which closed August 2022. The Knights told Sauce at the time that opening the diner was a dream come true.

They wanted to fill the family-restaurant hole left in South Grand’s restaurant scene after City Diner’s departure as well as find a home for Jason’s extensive collection of superhero and Batman collectibles. The restaurant serves a selection of diner classics cheekily named with superheroes, comics and movies in mind.