Note: This story originally appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal.
J. Buck's restaurant said Friday it would close its Clayton and downtown St. Louis locations at the end of the month.
The restaurant's owners said in a release that rising operational costs had led them to shutter the restaurants, at 101 S. Hanley Road in Clayton and 1000 Clark Ave. downtown.
"This was a difficult decision," said Doug Albrecht, who bought the two restaurants in 2008, in a release.
Albrecht said he and the restaurant's namesake, the Buck family, decided to donate 10 percent of the restaurant's sales through Oct. 30 to St. Louis Children's Hospital.
The restaurant is named after St. Louis broadcasters Julie Buck, Joe Buck and their father, Jack Buck. At one time seven of the restaurants were open, with royalties paid to the Bucks for their names and likenesses.
In 2009, restaurants closed in Des Peres, O'Fallon and in Springfield, leaving only the Clayton and downtown locations.
Those with unused gift cards to the restaurants can mail them to the company for a refund of the remaining balance at: J. Buck's/Joe Buck's Restaurants, P.O. Box 12465, St. Louis, MO 6313 2-9998.
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