One of downtown St. Louis’ most vibrant daytime concepts is saying goodbye—though its talented young chef promises an exciting new chapter for himself and his team.
Rated Café, the daytime offshoot of the innovative dining concept Rated Test Kitchen, has served its last guests. The Rated team announced the news in an Instagram post on November 13.
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“To our beloved community, thank you for your incredible support of Rated Café,” the Instagram post reads. “As we continue to grow and evolve, we’re excited to announce a new focus: bringing curated coffee and food experiences to St. Louis through catering and event services. This means Rated Café will be closed until further notice as we pivot to better serve you.”
Chef/owner Juwan Rice opened Rated Café in the heart of downtown this past June, promising a community gathering place that would translate his innovative culinary style to a daytime audience. Utilizing the same space as his evening tasting menu–style restaurant, Rated Test Kitchen, Rated Café featured delicious pastries, eclectic eclairs, a handful of creative brunch entrées, and a robust coffee program.
Now, Rice and company are focusing their breakfast and brunch efforts on special events and catering, something Rice is no stranger to: As a high school student, Rice ran his successful catering business, JR Gourmet, for which he quickly garnered attention as one of the area’s most exciting up-and-coming culinary talents.
Rice leveraged that success to open Rated Test Kitchen in 2023. The experimental kitchen, centered around molecular gastronomy, offers customers not only a chance to experience Rice and his team’s culinary innovations but also an opportunity to rate every component of the experience. That feedback then gets shared with the Rated team, so they can continue to improve.
Fans of Rice and his team can rest assured that this experience will continue. According to the Instagram post, Rated Test Kitchen will remain open for dinner service. Reservations can be made at rated-TK.com.
“We love St. Louis and are dedicated to being part of its growth and vibrancy,” the post reads. “Our commitment to this community runs deep, and we can’t wait to bring our unique touch to events across the city.”
SLM has reached out to Rice and will update this post as additional details become available.
