One of St. Louis’ hardest-working, most-beloved restaurant families is shifting gears, closing its 20-year-old flagship restaurant to focus on private parties, events, and weddings.
The Grbic family, owners of Grbic Restaurant (4071 Keokuk), perhaps the most famous Bosnian restaurant in St. Louis, announced on social media that the last day of restaurant service will be August 28. “We decided to close in four weeks,” says Senada Grbic, “because we thought that would give everyone holding a gift card enough time to use it.”
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Until August 28, reservations at Grcic can be made through Yelp, via email (at [email protected]), or by phone (314-772-3100) during business hours (4–9 p.m. Friday, noon–10 p.m. Saturday, noon–8 p.m. Sunday).
Beginning in September, the restaurant will be transformed into a fully customizable private event space, capable of seating 350 guests. During the switchover, currently booked events will not be affected. Hiring won’t be an issue either, Senada says, as the Grbics already have a large on-call staff. “My next goal is to make sure that everyone who is staying with us is properly compensated and happy in their job,” she says. “That’s one reason we went from being open six nights a week in the restaurant to three.”
The Background
The social media post announcing the news read, in part, “This was a bittersweet decision that weighed heavy on our hearts, but we know it is the right one. The owners, Sulejman and Ermina Grbic, deserve to prepare for retirement.” It went on to say that “this is not goodbye” and that their children, “Ermin and Senada Grbic will continue to carry on the family legacy for years to come, along with some heavenly guidance from their dear sister Erna,” who passed away in 2019.
“When Ermin and I began working at Grbic again,” Senada says, “we both realized that this is what we wanted to do, but with vendors and prices and lack of food availability, it was one step forward and two steps back, so we ultimately decided to make a change,” opting for private events, which tend to be predictable and profitable, as opposed to a standard restaurant, which is far less so.
“My brother has two kids, and so do I,” Senada continues. “The restaurant was consuming our lives. The event business can be managed on our own terms, and we’ve already built a reputation and a clientele. This is a win for our family.”
Those who have met the family know that their hospitality and graciousness comes naturally, as evidenced in the post: “Over twenty years ago, we proudly introduced Balkan cuisine to the community that we love so much, and we were embraced with open arms,” it read. “Whether you have been dining with us for years or just now found us, we thank you for your support. We are grateful for your loyalty; we are humbled and honored to have served you. You have trusted us with your routine family dinners, your treasured events, and your extraordinary moments, and we thank you.”
Sister Space
In 2019, the siblings opened a sister restaurant, Lemmons by Grbic (5800 Gravois). Ermin and Senada closed it in 2020, not long after the death of Erna. “It was too hard to run it after the loss of my sister,” Senada says. “We did everything there together. I did the best I could, and then [the pandemic] hit and it was just too much.”
Lemmons by Grbic is now used solely for extended pop-up events, beginning last year with two immersive cocktail-themed experiences: Alice in Wonderland in October and Peter Pan-themed Neverland a few months later. This September, Karen’s Diner will debut in the space, promising “great burgers and very rude service.”
“The same Australia-based company has organized all three events,” Senada adds. “It’s been great for us.”
