For as long as he can remember, Ben Welch dreamed of one day opening a restaurant that would pay homage to his maternal grandmother, Lucy Quinn. And for the better part of 2025, he did just that with a namesake restaurant and sister diner, Little Lucy.
Now, that dream is on hold. In a social media post Sunday evening, Welch announced that both Lucy Q (formerly Lucy Quinn) and Little Lucy will be ceasing operations at the end of the year. Both restaurants will permanently close after service on December 31.
“With heavy hearts, we will sadly be closing our doors at both Lucy Q (Quinn) and Little Lucy permanently on December 31, 2025,” Welch said in the post. “It has been a pleasure serving our community. We are incredibly grateful and appreciative of your support during the time we shared. Due to multiple determining factors, it has become impossible for us to keep the businesses operating.”
Welch opened Lucy Quinn and Little Lucy in the former home of BEAST Butcher and Block in The Grove. Although the real estate footprint was sprawling, Welch positioned the two concepts to be complementary; Lucy Quinn was a more upscale, evenings-only celebration of elevated Southern cuisine, while Little Lucy was a stylish, daytime and late-night diner that took inspiration from its sister spot for the more casual menu.
Little Lucy was a roaring success right out of the gate, filled elbow-to-elbow with late-night revelers and social media influencers, who filled followers’ feeds with reels of the scene. Lucy Quinn, however, struggled to find its audience and had trouble filling its large dining room beyond its popular brunch.
Recognizing Lucy Quinn’s struggles, Welch recently transitioned Lucy Quinn to a barbecue concept, Lucy Q, which he hoped would be more appealing to the neighborhood. At the time, Welch explained his decision to SLM, stating, “We tried Lucy Quinn in this neighborhood for seven months, and we realized that barbecue is just more approachable and neighborhood-friendly. We can catch people coming from shows or out and about in the neighborhood. It’s easier to sell them a pulled pork sandwich than a plate of crispy pork belly.”
SLM has reached out to Welch for comment.
The Backstory
For more than a decade, Welch has been a presence in the St. Louis restaurant scene, working in and consulting for restaurants across town before opening his debut spot, Big Baby Q, with his father in Maryland Heights in 2016. For two years, the smokehouse was considered one of the top barbecue destinations in the area and garnered Welch a loyal following for his smoked meats. He closed Big Baby Q in 2018 to become executive chef of The Midwestern, then went on to work for Six Mile Bridge Brewery and eventually its elevated concept, Botanica. There, Welch earned a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in the “Best Chef: Midwest” category.
Throughout his restaurant career, Welch consistently talked about the dream of Lucy Quinn, always saying that it was his ultimate end goal to pay homage to his maternal grandmother, Lucy Quinn, through an elevated soul food restaurant that would trace his personal food story from his family heritage in Mississippi to eating barbecue as a kid in St. Louis in the 1970s and everything that came after. From March through December, he was living that vision, with the support of his dedicated staff, whom he thanked in his announcement.
“To the staff, thank you for choosing to be a part of the dream; your contributions aren’t taken lightly,” Welch said. “I need to express my most sincere gratitude in your hard work and dedication. Thank you, Nana would be proud.”
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
