New Restaurants Springing Up in Cape

Friday was officially the first day of Spring, as we crossed the vernal equinox and head straight into the renewal of the season. If you have been watching the news in Cape Girardeau lately, it almost feels like someone was planting seeds of entrepreneurship for food establishments as several have been popping up lately.

As the largest city in Southeast Missouri, Cape Girardeau already has an outsized restaurant market with more than 140 establishments currently listed on the Visit Cape website. 2025 has really started off with a flurry of activity, with new restaurants and drinking establishments adding to the already impressive list of options.

Things really kicked off at the end of 2024 with the addition of a new Papa John’s location on N. Mount Auburn and the opening of Terriyaki Madness in the new retail center on Campster Drive. Add to that, Insomnia Cookies opening in the old Marcos Pizza location on Broadway, and the year ended with many great new options.

January and February tend to be slower months in the restaurant and hospitality industry, but that didn’t slow down local activity as a flurry of new locations are now opening or preparing to open here in Cape. Last week, the new Twisted Biscuit Co. location on S. Mount Auburn Rd opened offering a great new option for brunch in the area. This week, the long-awaited Relish Sandwich Bar and Social Club will open its doors after building a fair amount of FOMO with their social media work leading up to their opening.

There are even more to come as several other businesses have filed for licensing with the City of Cape including Las Brisas, expanding to Cape in the former Zaxby’s building, Pink Vega$ lounge and restaurant on S. Sprigg, Operation Falafel, Oxio Dessert Studio, The Juicery Cape inside The Studio on Cape LaCroix Rd., and of course a new Crumbl Cookie location opening near Terriyaki Madness later this spring. There are certainly a lot of great new places to go out and try as we roll into spring!