St. Louis smash burger chain shuts down two metro-east restaurants

Hi-Pointe Drive-In restaurants featuring smash burgers and shakes in O’Fallon, Edwardsville and Ballwin, Missouri, have been shut down, the St. Louis-based company announced Tuesday.

“With the realities of the industry and everything we’ve learned over the years, we made a tough but necessary decision to close” the three locations effective immediately, the company announced on its Facebook page.

“This was the hardest decision we’ve made to date, but a necessary one so we can show up better for our people and our guests,” according to the statement. “That means getting back to the basics, being consistent, and putting more care into every burger that hits the grill.”

The company, which had nine sites in the St. Louis metro area before Tuesday’s announcement, said, “Sometimes growing means taking a step back.”

The O’Fallon site at 630 W. Highway 50 opened in April 2022 and the Edwardsville site at 6147 Trace Parkway Drive opened in October 2023. These were the only metro-east locations.

Early last year, the company said three founders of the chain – Charlie Downs, Mike Johnson and Ben Hillman – would take full ownership of the O’Fallon site.

Employees at the closed sites have been offered jobs at the chain’s six remaining locations and gift cards will be honored at these sites.

Hi-Pointe said new menu items are being planned.

The six remaining Hi-Pointe restaurants are in St. Louis, Cottleville, Chesterfield and Kirkwood in Missouri.

This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 5:18 PM.