On the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 25, rumors began circulating on social media that Armory STL — a massive bar, restaurant and playground set to open in late 2022 at 3660 Market St. in Midtown St. Louis — was closing, effective immediately. Staff were notified of the closure via text message.

A screenshot of a text from manager Jason Mehringer was posted on Facebook, which read: “Unfortunately, management has informed us that we are closing the venue effective immediately. … We wish you all the best and once again I deeply apologize for having to share this with everyone in this way.”

Comments and posts from people claiming to be employees at the armory confirmed the rumors are true. We called the number listed for Mehringer and it went to voicemail, but it was confirmed that it was indeed Jason Mehringer’s number. He did not return our call. We also called and emailed the venue, but those requests for comment were not returned either. We will update this story if we hear back.

Editor’s note: Shortly after this article went live, former Armory bartender Jess Malawy confirmed that staff was notified of the closure via text message around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24. A few minutes later, Armory representatives released a statement saying the closure was temporary and the management team was working on a plan to reopen.