Balkan Treat Box owner will open brick-and-mortar in Webster Groves

Popular food truck Balkan Treat Box will soon set down roots in a permanent space. Chef-owner Loryn Nalic and her husband, Edo Nalic, will open a brick-and-mortar version at 8103 Big Bend Blvd., in Webster Groves, the former location of Stratton’s Café sometime this fall.

“Webster Groves for me has always been a place of great memories,” Loryn Nalic said. “We live there, so we’re just a 60 second walk from work. It’s nice to be able to open where our roots are.” Nalic said the neighborhood has always been very supportive of the food truck at area events.

The restaurant will feature the same delicacies from the Balkan region the truck is famous for, including doner, cevapi and pide. Nalic’s signature somun bread will be baked on a wooden hearth, just like on the truck.

Nalic said there will be new dishes on the restaurant menu as well, including some popular specials that have been on the truck menu, as well as chicken and beef doner options. She said the restaurant will eventually serve beer and wine, but initially it may be a BYOB situation depending on the status of the liquor license at opening.

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Best New Restaurant 2017: No. 4 Balkan Treat Box

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Nalic said construction on the space will be minimal. “We’re just putting some paint on the walls, so it’s not going to take much,” she said. “It’s pretty turnkey and ready to go.” She said the space will have approximately 40 seats.

Initially, the restaurant will be open for lunch hours until sold out Monday through Sunday, and plans are in place to implement breakfast and dinner hours in the future. The space will also serve as the commissary for the food truck.

“We’ve been using Pappy’s Smokehouse as a home base since we started and now we’re kind of growing out of that, but we’re super grateful for them helping us out and being behind us,” Nalic said.

Once the restaurant’s doors open, the Balkan Treat Box food truck will continue to hit the streets on a limited schedule, and will be available for private events.

Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.