Afandi Sweets & Cafe in south St. Louis has closed

Chef-owner Jwamer Rasheed decided to close the doors to his first restaurant, Afandi Sweets & Cafe, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He terminated the lease to the space at 6997 Chippewa St. in Lindenwood Park on Jan. 1. 

“We closed because of Covid — for the safety of our customers and our employees — we don’t want to take any risks,” Rasheed said. He stated that staffing issues also coincided with the recent rising number of cases, making it too difficult to operate the business. 

After opening in July, the third-generation pastry chef impressed customers with his beautifully crafted baklava. The restaurant’s kanafeh, an appetizer made with melted akkawi cheese topped with shredded phyllo dough, honey and chopped pistachios was one of the best dishes of 2021. “I’m getting phone calls from my customers and they understand, but they want us to be around still,” he said. 

Rasheed explained that he has no plans to reopen Afandi Sweets & Cafe at this time. “If things improve and change, we could reconsider, but, as of now, we have no plans,” he said.