Big Baby Q and Smokehouse in Maryland Heights will close at the end of 2018, owner Ben Welch announced on social media Thursday (Sept. 6). However, Welch says he will return next year with a new restaurant downtown.

"I will begin a new adventure early 2019," Welch writes in a Facebook post. "I’ll be teaming up with 'partners' to bring potentially the largest [barbecue] restaurant to downtown St. Louis. Expect many of the same items presently at Big Baby plus new/former items."

Welch had teased a potential new concept earlier this year with a pop-up event called Lucy Quinn.