The downtown St. Louis restaurant scene is losing one of its most popular brands, Burger 809 (808 Chestnut)—and, according to owner Tasha Smith, the closure has nothing to do with lack of business.
After recently celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the slider brand will serve its final guests at the Citygarden location on December 8. According to Smith, the closure is the result of its lease being terminated early by the Gateway Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Citygarden, where Burger 809 is located.
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Smith announced the closure on September 2 in a press release, noting that she had planned to be at the Citygarden location for years to come but was notified that the Gateway Foundation was terminating her lease early. When she was notified in June, Smith says, she was not given any reason, other than that the foundation wants to go in a different direction. “It was very vague,” says Smith. “I was told that I didn’t do anything wrong but that they wanted to go in a different direction. The decision was made by the Gateway Foundation’s board, which is really disappointing because our customers loved us.”
Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Gateway Foundation initially did not provide any additional details for the lease termination or next steps for the building, but wished Smith well in her future endeavors.
After publication, Gateway Foundation provided the following additional details:
Gateway Foundation was surprised and disappointed to learn of comments made by Burger 809 that mischaracterize the circumstances surrounding its impending departure from the Terrace View. Our original statement was intentionally brief and supportive out of respect for Tasha and her business. To be clear: this decision was neither sudden nor unrelated to business operations.
In 2026, the Foundation will move forward with a new concept to be managed internally. Importantly, this decision was driven not by a desire to replace Burger 809 with a new concept. Over the course of many months, Burger 809 was asked repeatedly to address contractual issues, including maintaining required operating hours, providing timely and accurate financial reporting, and meeting other contractual obligations. These issues were not addressed.
Since Burger 809 moved into Terrace View, the Foundation held multiple meetings, corresponded with Tasha regularly in person, by phone and email, and repeatedly offered marketing and operational support which Tasha declined. The operating agreement was concluded multiple months ago and only after these repeated efforts to resolve issues. Upon termination of the agreement, the Foundation permitted Burger 809 to remain in the space through December 2025 to allow Burger 809 a reasonable transition timeline.
Gateway Foundation believes the Terrace View space holds tremendous potential as a public amenity, offering it to various operators since its inception at a rate well below market value, providing 24-hour security, attentive property management, and other amenities. It is one of the most beautiful, well-maintained spaces Downtown. The Foundation is confident in this decision and made it with the long-term interest of Citygarden and the Downtown and St. Louis communities at heart.
Our original statement remains true: Gateway Foundation values its role as steward of Citygarden, ensuring this public space remains a welcoming and well-managed destination for the community. We were proud to host Burger 809 at Terrace View and grateful for the contribution it made to the park and Downtown. We wish Tasha and her team continued success as they begin their next chapter in St. Louis.
The Background + The Future
Smith has been operating Burger 809 at Citygarden since July 2024, occupying the striking, largely glass building in the park’s center, which had sat vacant for a few years after Kaldi’s pulled out of the space. (The building has been home to a handful of other concepts since its opened in 2009.) Smith says she was excited by the opportunity to be a part of the downtown restaurant scene and moved into the space with the intention of being there for many years. It was a welcome home base for the concept, which started as a catering and pop-up brand in 2015, before moving to a tiny storefront on Cherokee Street and eventually into Bluewood Brewing in Benton Park.
Although the Citygarden space felt like a permanent home for Smith, a downtown resident of 17 years, it was not without its issues. Six days before the location’s grand opening last July, one of the building’s windows was shot out and needed to be replaced. Then, on opening day, her refrigeration system went down, throwing her first day of business into chaos and forcing her to divert funds for things such as signage and uniforms toward necessary repairs. Still, she persevered and finally felt like those hardships were behind her.
“The first year is always a pilot year,” says Smith. “The building had sat vacant for so long, so we had to get in there and use it and see if it worked. And we made it work. We put love into that space.”
Although recent construction around Citygarden has depressed business, Smith sees Burger 809’s tenure there as a success. She points to its numerous regulars—folks from nearby office buildings, the courts buildings, and City Hall—who regularly frequent the restaurant and is saddened by what she feels is a loss of community.
Still, Smith remains optimistic that Burger 809 will reopen sometime next year, hopefully downtown. She points to several prominent figures, including Mayor Cara Spencer and Kurt Weigle of Greater St. Louis, Inc, who have vowed to help her secure a new home for Burger 809 in the area. She doesn’t rule out moving to another part of town and has even launched a fundraiser on Burger 809’s website that she is using to help her take the next step for the business. In the meantime, she encourages fans of the restaurant to come down and experience her cooking—as she notes, a “see you soon,” rather than a “goodbye.”
“I know we will be a good asset to anywhere we are located and our customers will come to wherever we open next,” says Smith. “Until then, we are here, and we will continue to operate and give the best service we can.”
This article has been updated from the original version.
