How the Small Business Grant Fund Helped Grace Meat + Three Continue Serving the Best Fried Chicken in Missouri

Grace Meat + Three was founded in 2017 by Rick Lewis as a counter-service restaurant offering a unique blend of refined Southern American food and hospitality. This popular restaurant combines the name God’s grace with traditional Southern meat and three sides dinner.

As with all businesses, Lewis had to pivot his market strategy to maintain his workforce. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Grace Meats opened a walk-through window to give customers a carryout option. Lewis’ forward-thinking caused the restaurant to be ahead of the economic shutdown, which would occur months later in 2020. Despite the walk-through window, Lewis faced challenges keeping everyone employed during the pandemic. To keep from shutting the restaurant down, he created a pop-up barbecue restaurant in Grace Meat’s dining room to increase income. Despite these practical measures, Grace Meats struggled to avoid laying off workers during the economic downturn due to the loss of catering and dining room business.

At that point, Rick Lewis received an email from the Grove Community Improvement District regarding the Small Business Grant Fund that would help him maintain Grace Meats’ workforce. “Applying for the grant was a streamlined process online, and then we went downtown to review the paperwork,” Lewis said. Payroll was a huge concern for Grace Meats, and the grant funds prevented Lewis from laying off his workers. Today, Grace Meats + Three is again flourishing thanks to assistance from the St. Louis Development Corporation and the Small Business Grant.