Economy & Business

Here’s what St. Louis restaurants opened and closed in January 2026

St. Louis Public Radio | By Jessica Rogen

Published February 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST

From upper left, clockwise: The Big Breakfast Sandwich, Country Fried Chicken Biscuit and Cheesy Breakfast Potatoes, Post Card pastries, and Corned Beef Hash at 3 Crows Bakery on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in East Alton, Ill. — From upper left, clockwise: the big breakfast sandwich, country fried chicken biscuit and cheesy breakfast potatoes, postcard pastries and corned beef hash at Three Crows Bakery on Friday in East Alton.

Braylon Light and his dad, Jason Light, agree: The Sloppy Irishman is the best thing they serve at Three Crows Bakery & Cafe.

“We pickle our own cabbage for it, as well as brine our own corned beef for it. And then we also make our own Thousand Island for it,” said Braylon Light, who is only 16.

“It’s on the molasses oat bread that my wife makes,” his father said. “It’s just a really good sandwich when you put it all together.”

They make almost everything on the sandwich — except the Swiss cheese — from scratch at their new family-run bakery and cafe in East Alton. And that’s the point.

Jason Light and his wife, Meaghn Light, had been working in the restaurant industry for decades and had done just about everything. But he felt frustrated by only ever working for someone else.

From left: Braylon Light, 16, Meaghn Light and her husband Jason Light, pictured on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, run the newly opened 3 Crows Bakery in East Alton, Ill. — From left: Braylon Light, 16; Meaghn Light and her husband, Jason Light, pictured on Friday, run the newly opened Three Crows Bakery in East Alton.

That changed when Meaghn Light began selling her baked goods at the Alton Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market. She named her stall Three Crows Bakery after a trio of the birds that hung around for scraps while she baked.

The stall gained a following, and the family began thinking about how to make it work.

“We figured, if we could find something small, we'd do it,” Jason Light said. That opportunity came when they found the East Alton spot that seemed to have potential for good foot traffic, and they opened Three Crows Bakery at the end of January. They serve breakfast, lunch and pastries like hand pies made with a laminated dough like a croissant.

The three run the business by themselves — and opening something small and close knit is part of the point.

“It’s pretty rewarding,” Jason Light said. “It’s self-rewarding, the restaurant business. You either love it or hate it.”