Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Restaurateur Mike Randolph has announced the closure of Público in the Delmar Loop after service on Saturday, December 22. The news was first reported by Ian Froeb of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
In a statement, Randolph said, “We have accomplished so much in this restaurant. Three James Beard semifinalist nominations, countless kind words from our local media friends, and most importantly, the support from our guests.”
Photo by Greg Rannells
The closing comes on the heels of two other Randolph-owned Loop closures, both at the same address: Privado (in September of this year) and Randolfi’s Italian Kitchen (in September of last year).
Yet Público seemed to be the darling of diners and critics alike. Following opening night, Pat Eby listed five reasons to dine there. SLM's Dave Lowry called its approach "unique and delicious." And this author noted Randolph’s ability to "simultaneously create a weeknight hangout, a date-night spot, and a place to take visiting gastronomes."
In the statement, Randolph added, “We dared to do something different in St. Louis. We were one of the first wood-fire concepts here, and we utilize that hearth for almost everything on our menu. We interpreted Latin cuisine in new and interesting ways, and we are proud of everything that goes out of the kitchen, still today. With that said, the restaurant scene is changing so it’s important to frequent the restaurants that you love.”
He encouraged friends and supporters to visit his two Half & Half locations (in Clayton and Webster Groves) and to look for more from him in the future.
Reached by phone this afternoon, Randolph explained the reasons for the closure: "Part of it was the volatile numbers," he said, alluding to shrinking margins due to the "higher-than-ever" rents, food costs, and labor costs.
"In the past, we survived on slim but acceptable margins," he said. "But for the last few years, we've been swimming uphill, and the hill is getting steeper."
He added that part of the problem was the combination of "more bright shiny objects and, in retrospect, not being completely in line with what diners wanted," which flies in the face of Half & Half's breakfast-and-lunch concept, that "totally matches needs and expectations."
Randolph spoke of the two-year honeymoon period that the restaurant experienced ("longer here than in many larger cities"), but fears that "local restaurants may not see that anymore" because of the sheer number of new restaurants; now, the new honeymoon period could last a year or less.
Randolph is proud of the fact that during Público's nearly four-year run, he was able to remain true to its concept of 70 percent approachable and 30 percent adventurous fare. He's also proud to have been a local pioneer of live-fire cooking and higher-end Pan Latin cuisine, adding that "it was disappointing to bow out early," but the slow decline in business was untenable. "You don't get back after four years what you began losing 18 months ago," he said.
But for all the criticism, he said that he's not bitter, angry, or making excuses. Rather, he is anticipating "five weeks of celebration of what Público is, not some slow prodding death," and he promises more restaurants on the horizon.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with comments from Randolph.
