The journey of Brew Tulum—an establishment renowned for its Mexican cuisine and specialty coffees—has encountered a significant setback as the owners announced the cessation of their expansion plans at Laclede's Landing and the end of their coffee service within The Cobblestone STL. In a statement made public on social media, Brew Tulum cited on KSDK "delayed by factors out of our control" as the rationale behind abandoning the project, which was initially scheduled for a fall 2024 or early 2025 start. The specifics of these delays, however, have not been clarified by the owners.
Prior to this reversal of fortunes, Brew Tulum operated a location in a the Delmar Maker District, which closed in November 2023 following a dispute with the landlord over lead contamination issues. The owners, Laura McNamara and Alberto “AJ” Juarez, made their mark in the culinary scene with the establishment’s opening back in fall 2022. Their subsequent venture into the Cobblestone STL was seen as a temporary measure as they worked toward realizing their vision for a full-fledged restaurant on Laclede's Landing, as reported by KSDK and St. Louis Business Journal.
This week, the proprietors shared on social media that they would no longer proceed with the full coffee shop and restaurant, stating, "Given the challenges and hardship we were already rebounding from, we had to make the extremely tough decision to walk away." They emphasized the strain of adapting to the unexpected postponement of their new project—a sentiment captured in their online post. Despite this setback, the company plans to maintain a presence by hosting events in Laclede’s Landing market and across the region, and continue their focus on strengthening their online platforms for both catering and the sale of coffee products. This statement is echoed in coverage from St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Brew Tulum's initial restaurant was to occupy space in the Hoffman Lofts, a part of the redevelopment portfolio of Advantes Group, which boasts 21 apartments and 15,000-square-feet dedicated to retail and office purposes. Although Ryan Koppy, a broker for Hoffman Lofts, acknowledged a lease agreement between Advantes and Brew Tulum, details regarding the termination are still being discussed. The Advantes Group did not provide a comment on the matter when reached out. Meanwhile, Brew Tulum’s patrons will still find their offerings at local farmers' markets, including Tower Grove Farmers Market and U City Farmers Market.
