Courtesy rootberry
The north end of the Saint Louis Galleria has looked bare following the closures of Weber Grill Restaurant last August and Texas de Brazil last month. Now, rootberry, a local plant-based foods company, will take over the former Weber Grill restaurant space (1147 Saint Louis Galleria) while expanding its St. Louis headquarters.
Founded in June 2021, rootberry makes ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat foods that can be ordered online for delivery or purchased in a variety of retail locations. Its products are currently available for home and office delivery in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County, as well as at 48 retail locations, including grocery stores and universities across the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Courtesy rootberry
Spring Roll in a Bowl from rootberry
Courtesy rootberry
Winter Squash Risotto from rootberry
Rootberry’s new 9,000-square-foot space features two dining rooms, a bar, two patio spaces and training space. The company will use the space not only for its headquarters, but also for the preparation and production of its line of plant-based meals, salads, shareables, and desserts.
“This restaurant was impeccably designed in 2016, and the building inspires us to elevate our work, build our culture, and expand throughout the St Louis region—and, ultimately, across the Midwest,” says rootberry co-founder Marc Connor. “The interior design of the building will remain the same and suits the rootberry brand with its red accents and warm industrial style.”
The new, expansive kitchen inside the space will allow the rootberry culinary team the opportunity to collaborate with partners. Rootberry is currently teaming up with St. Louis’ del Carmen Foods to create a series of new dishes, including Black Bean Hummus (made with del Carmen black beans) and a Cuban Beans and Rice entrée (made with del Carmen black beans and locally grown, long-grain rice).
According to a press release, there are no current plans to offer customers on-site experiences, but rootberry has made note of the potential and looks forward to exploring new ways to connect with its customers.
“Everything we do—whether we’re collaborating with food companies, partnering for distribution, supporting nonprofits, or serving our customers directly—is tied to one simple idea,” says Connor, “to plant seeds daily that can lead to better living on an individual and community level.”
