Today is the final day of operations for Local Harvest Cafe‘s downtown catering and cafe at 815 Olive St., in the Old Post Office building. Catering operations will now be managed from its Tower Grove cafe, as first reported by Feast.
Local Harvest made the announcement today via email and Facebook. Co-owner Maddie Earnest said it was difficult decision, but a smart move that will allow the company to return to its roots and strengthen its business. “It’s always sad, but what we’ve learned over these past couple years is you do have to make tough decisions … but you have to move on and find the best out of it,” Earnest said. “For us, we do think that this is the best.”
The closure is the latest event in a year of change for Local Harvest. The company was brought to the brink of closure in January and appealed to the public for help with a community fundraising campaign. The community responded with enthusiasm, meeting the $120,000 goal well before the final day of the campaign. Local Harvest also announced a new name and concept early this year, rebranding its cafe as LHC and focusing on carryout and a menu of fresh juices and cultured items.
Earnest said since the success of the community fundraising campaign, she and co-owner Patrick Horine are continuing their hunt for an equity partner to help secure the Local Harvest’s future.
-photo by Carmen Troesser
This article appears in Guide to Beer 2014.