After nearly two years in Kirkwood, Station No. 3 is calling it quits, with its final day of service set for May 9. Owners Natasha Kwan and Rick Roloff say they will now turn their attention back to their University City restaurants as the Kirkwood outpost winds down. Diego's Cantina is slated to expand its hours to take on Station staff, and several fan-favorite dishes from Station No. 3 will be folded into the couple's other kitchens. The move comes on the heels of the earlier closure of the brand's Benton Park flagship.
Lease talks fell apart, owners say
Kwan told St. Louis Magazine that the team spent months trying to renegotiate the Kirkwood lease but could not get terms that matched what the restaurant was bringing in. "The current rent was just not viable for us," she said. The couple also told the outlet they have no plans to reopen Station No. 3 at a different location, and St. Louis Magazine reports that May 9 will be the restaurant's last day.
Where the Kirkwood location sat
The Kirkwood restaurant took over the former Chicken Out space at 10463 Manchester Road, a roughly 2,500-square-foot spot with about 40 seats inside, patio space and a drive-up window for online order pickup. The Station No. 3 website lists the Manchester Road address and weekend brunch hours and notes that the Benton Park location is permanently closed. According to the Station No. 3 website, the concept was built around a plant-forward, flexitarian menu designed to appeal to both vegans and meat-eaters.
Staff shifts and menu carryovers
Per St. Louis Magazine, Diego's Cantina will move to a seven-day schedule, serving lunch and dinner so that all current Station No. 3 employees can stay on within the KR Restaurants group. Frida's is expected to pick up the Station Burger and possibly tofu burnt ends and a vegan bacon wrap, while Diego's already features several of Station's plant-based items on its menu. The owners also told the outlet that the Kirkwood leasehold is on the market through Kramer Commercial Realty and that they are "basically giving it away" to anyone willing to take over the lease.
How Station No. 3 grew and contracted
Station No. 3 opened in Benton Park in 2022 and launched its Kirkwood outpost in late 2024 as part of Kwan and Roloff's KR Restaurants umbrella. Sauce Magazine covered the Kirkwood debut and highlighted the plant-based burnt ends and vegan burgers that helped the concept stand out when it expanded. The rapid growth followed by a quick pullback underscores the ongoing squeeze on local restaurant operators trying to juggle rent, staffing and customer traffic in a tight dining landscape.
