A beloved St. Louis institution will soon bid farewell to the legions of diners it has served for nearly six decades.
Hacienda Mexican Restaurant (9748 Manchester) is closing its doors after service this Sunday, January 25. Co-owner Alex Rodriguez confirmed the news with SLM on Tuesday afternoon.
“This restaurant has been part of my entire life,” Rodriguez said in an email to SLM announcing the closure. “My dad, Norberto Rodriguez, started Hacienda in 1968, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of his legacy. We have watched families grow up here, celebrated countless milestones with our guests, and built lifelong relationships.”
In an interview with SLM this past October, Rodriguez noted a “perfect storm” of challenges facing the restaurant that had prompted the family to put the building up for sale. Now, those have proven to be insurmountable. Citing staffing issues, major roadwork along Manchester Road, inconsistent business in a post-pandemic dining world, declining alcohol consumption, and the burdens of maintaining a building that dates back to the late 1800s, Rodriguez summed up in one word what it had been like trying to run the business for the past several years: “Brutal.”
Rodriguez and her family had initially hoped to relocate the restaurant, telling SLM in October that she was looking for a more manageable space to carry on the family’s legacy. While those plans are no longer in the works, Rodriguez assures St. Louis diners that the brand will live on through its packaged goods. She also notes that the food truck and catering operations will continue for the foreseeable future…