Hi-Pointe Drive-In has closed three of its nine locations—in Edwardsville and O’Fallon, Illinois, as well as Ballwin—as the smashburger-focused brand resets its strategy heading into the new year.
The closures are part of a broader effort to slow expansion, reset, and refocus on operational consistency, leadership support, and long-term growth, according to company president Ben Hillman. “We closed the lowest-volume stores,” Hillman tells SLM, “as restaurant groups occasionally do. These were locations where we couldn’t stabilize sales, no matter how much we improved the staff and how great the food and service.”
He adds, “In the future, in this new environment, we’re being forced to become more thoughtful of our time, energy, and dollars. Ratcheting back allows us to do that.”
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All affected employees have been offered opportunities to transfer to other Hi-Pointe locations, consistent with the company’s people-first approach, a press release said, and the company’s gift cards, promotions, and loyalty points will continue to be honored at all six remaining locations, in Cottleville, Chesterfield, downtown, Kirkwood, inside 4 Hands Brewing, and at the flagship store in the Hi-Pointe neighborhood.
Future plans call to update Hi-Pointe’s core menu, introducing new items while retaining favorites. “We want to get back to the original concept, which was great burgers along with creative sandwiches and shakes,” Hillman says. “We had gone in the other direction but learned that we have to do things differently—there are a lot of good smashburgers in St. Louis—so we want to get back to a broader, chef-driven brand providing items that you can’t get anywhere else.”
In the release, Hillman added that the brand is still “committed to serving the best damn smashburgers—not just in St. Louis, but galaxy-wide. That’s who we are, that’s what we do, and that’s where we’re going in 2026.”
The Backstory
Hi-Pointe Drive-In was established in 2017 by Mike Johnson and Charlie Downs, two principals in the Sugarfire Restaurant Group. In 2020, Hillman partnered with Johnson and Downs, assuming a 50 percent share of Hi-Pointe. Downs subsequently sold his 25 percent stake to Hillman; Johnson still holds his shares and is looking forward to Hi-Pointe returning to its roots, “something that I helped create and build,” he says.
In mid-2024, Hillman and Johnson formed Gastronauts Food Group, along with Kurt Eller, owner of two Taco Buddha restaurants at the time. The goal was to establish a new restaurant group that would expand Hi-Pointe and Taco Buddha in St. Louis and beyond. Under the structure, Hillman says, Eller is involved with Taco Buddha, Johnson focuses on Hi-Pointe, and he oversees both brands.
Hillman adds that the recent closures have not altered Gastronauts’ long-term plans. The group recently opened a third location of Taco Buddha in Botanical Heights and is in active discussions to expand both concepts, with St. Charles being a potential market for each. As for broader regional growth, Hillman says his group has interest, but no deals are currently in motion.
