The popular Filipino-American eatery Guerrilla Street Food is for sale. Owners Brian Hardesty and Joel Crespo announced in a press release that they would be selling the nationally publicized brand—which includes restaurant furniture and fixtures, plus a food truck—to pursue other opportunities.
The decision to divest came within the past couple weeks. “It all happened pretty quickly,” Crespo says. “It was time for us to move on and pursue other things.”
The duo is looking to sell the brand in hopes that the concept will continue to proceed without them. “A lot of people have reached out to us saying they don’t want it to end, and we don’t want it to end either,” says Crespo. “It’s time for some fresh talent to take over.”
Guerilla Street Food began as a food truck in 2011. It quickly gained popularity and was considered by many to be the best food truck in town. The first brick-and-mortar location opened in Tower Grove in 2015. The concept received national attention in such publications as Forbes and USA Today, as well as appearing on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Hardesty and Crespo expanded the brand quickly, eventually opening five locations before later closing a few at a time. The remaining restaurant is located at 43 S. Old Orchard in Webster Groves.
“GSF is still a profitable business,” says Hardesty, “but going from six operations to one, adding in a pandemic, and not receiving any Restaurant Revitalization grants took its toll on us.”
Hardesty, who’s also the managing partner for 9 Mile Garden and Frankie Martin’s Garden, the soon-to-open sister concept in Cottleville, says, “It’s full speed ahead with those projects”—and perhaps more. Hardesty also does restaurant consulting.
Hardesty and Crespo’s tenure will effectively end April 30. “We’re hopeful that someone can take over without there being a gap in operations,” asys Crespo, “but that will be the last date that we will be operating out of the Webster Groves location.”
Interested parties can contact Hardesty and Crespo by emailing [email protected] or through the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.