All the Latest Restaurant Closures Around the Twin Cities

Third Space Cafe

Lyndale Avenue’s Third Space Cafe will close when its lease is up at the end of October, per an announcement on the cafe’s Instagram page. Owner Erin Ryan-Mosley opened Third Space in the fall of 2021, offering a cozy neighborhood antidote to the social isolation that defined the early pandemic — the cafe soon became known for its coffee flights. Ryan-Mosley wrote that it was an “increasingly challenging” time for small businesses in the service industry, the city, and the neighborhood (Third Space is located in Uptown, which has been massively impacted by construction this summer). “We have had an incredible three years in this neighborhood and the memories and relationships formed will stay with us forever,” she wrote.

Kim’s

Chef Ann Kim’s Korean American restaurant, Kim’s, closed in Uptown in late August. Kim’s restaurant group, Vestalia Hospitality, cited “ongoing financial losses” in a statement. The closure came two months after Kim’s staff voted to unionize with Unite Here Local 17.

Ouro Pizzaria

Ouro Pizzaria, the Brazilian pizza counter at local food hall Eat Street Crossing by Bebe Zito owners Gabriella Grant-Spangler and Ben Spangler, has closed. “This isn’t goodbye forever, just goodbye for now,” a statement on Ouro’s (now deleted) Instagram read, per Bring Me The News. “We are still dreaming about Brazilian food in Minneapolis, so this isn’t the end.” The closure is the latest in a series of change-ups at Eat Street Crossing: Ramen Shoten was recently transformed into Staff Meeting, and izakaya counter Sushi Dori is now PinKU.

Saint Dinette

Chef Tim Niver’s St. Paul restaurant Saint Dinette will close at the end of March 2025 when its lease is up, the Star Tribune reports. Niver has been considering the closure for a while — looking frankly at the restaurant landscape and, more closely, St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood, he told the Strib that he feels it’s “really hard to predict a future where five years from now [Saint Dinette] would be an irrefutable financial success.” Customers have ample time to bid the restaurant farewell before next spring. “It’s beautiful,” Niver told the Star Tribune. “This is another good story I got to write.

The Pourhouse

Downtown Minneapolis bar and music venue the Pourhouse closed in early August after a 12-year run, per Downtown Voices. No reason for the closure was given: A statement from the bar said simply that “our party has come to an end and our doors have closed for the last time.” The Pourhouse previously had locations in Dinkytown and Uptown; both have closed.

Finnegan’s Taproom

Finnegan’s taproom will close in downtown Minneapolis on August 31, but the good news is that the brewery will shift production to Fulton Brewery in the North Loop, where it plans serve beer on tap as a sort of “craft beer residency,” the Star Tribune reports. Essentially, the two breweries are becoming roomies.

Sushi Dori at Eat Street Crossing

Sushi Dori, the izakaya-style sushi counter at local food hall Eat Street Crossing, has closed to make way for a new counter: A revival of Northeast Minneapolis’s popular Japanese street food restaurant, PinKU. Chef John Sugimura is partnering up with chef Louross Edralin for an omakase menu and a selection of small plates, yakitori, and oysters, according to a press release.

Beirut Restaurant

West St. Paul’s Beirut Restaurant, a local staple for Lebanese fare for more than 40 years, will close in September, Bring Me the News reports. Owners John and Madelaine Khoury thanked their customers in a letter posted to Facebook, recounting how John’s parents founded the restaurant in 1983, leaving Lebanon and settling in West St. Paul, where they found a small building on Robert Street and opened the restaurant. The good news is that Beirut is opening a new location in Rosemount, where the Khourys plan to focus on fast-casual service, catering, ready-made dishes, and takeout.

Brew Lab 101

Brew Lab 101, the New Mexico-based brewery that opened in downtown’s former Clockwerks Brewing space this winter, has closed. A note on the brewery’s website says that it’s closed temporarily “due to unforseen circumstances,” but signs of reopening don’t look too promising: according to Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, the brewery had been “struggling” and cutting staff ahead of the closure.

Eli’s Food & Cocktails

The downtown Minneapolis location of Eli’s Food & Cocktails closed quietly in late June, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal reports. Its sister location on Hennepin Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis remains open.

Gray Duck Tavern

St. Paul’s Gray Duck Tavern closed suddenly in mid-July, the Pioneer Press first reported. The restaurant first opened in 2017 — it’s owned by local real estate company Madison Equities, which put its sizable downtown St. Paul portfolio on the market earlier this year.

Peppers & Fries

Longtime East East Lake Street sports bar Peppers & Fries closed in late June — Longfellow Whatever has the scoop on Steven and Marie Frias’s exit from the restaurant business, a move they made so that Steve can enter semi-retirement and Marie can return to “normal life.” RIP to a solid Juicy Lucy.

Axebridge Wine Co.

The North Loop’s Axebridge Wine Co. closed in late June, per Downtown Voices — it’s moving operations to Waconia, Minnesota.

Protagonist Kitchen & Bar

Richfield’s “Americana gastropub,” Protagonist Kitchen & Bar, closed in late May, per Bring Me the News. The restaurant posted a brief note on Instagram, writing “We loved being a part of this community and getting a chance to share our brand of hospitality with you all.”

Wuollet Bakery in Wayzata

Wuollet Bakery’s Wayazata location closed in May following an eviction action, as Wayzata.com first reported. The bakery’s other metro locations remain open.

Fool Me Once

Fool Me Once, the space cowboy-themed bar that opened at Lyn-Lake in the fall of 2023, closed abruptly in late April, as Southwest Voices reports. No reason was given at the time — a Go Fund Me was launched for the bar’s workers, who were caught off guard by the sudden closure.

Italian Eatery

South Minneapolis restaurant Italian Eatery and its next-door sister restaurant, Un Dito, closed mid-June. Owners Eric and Vanessa Carrara made the announcement in an email newsletter, according to Bring Me the News, expressing their gratitude to customers and inviting them to make reservations for a “Last Supper” dinner series, a “soft closing” that extended from late May to mid-June.

Ramen Shoten

Changes are coming to south Minneapolis food hall Eat Street Crossing: Chef John Ng and Lina Goh’s stand-up ramen counter, Ramen Shoten, has sunsetted, but a new ramen spot, “Staff Meeting,” has taken its place, according to a press release. Las Vegas chef Louross Edralin, a Season 4 alumni of Hell’s Kitchen, has already run a number of pop-ups at Ramen Shoten — he’s serving a full-time menu of Japanese curry with chicken katsu, Korean fried rice, and twice-fried spiced chicken wings, among other dishes. Staff meeting offers chicken-based and vegetarian ramen as well, just like Ramen Shoten.

Hark Cafe

Downtown Minneapolis’s Hark Cafe, which serves vegan and gluten-free baked goods, announced on Instagram that its cafe operations ended April 28. Owners Lisa Neumann and Katherine Pardue plan to transition their downtown location into a commercial kitchen space, so Hark continues to crank out out Celiac-safe cakes, bagels, and cookies for custom order, wholesale, and catering — keep an eye on social media for holiday pre-sales.

Soul to Soul Smokehouse

Midtown Global Market’s barbecue restaurant, Soul to Soul Smokehouse, closed on April 24. Brothers Jewuan Marshall and Charles Robinson made the announcement via Facebook, writing that after facing “many challenges” during their three years of service, they had reached a “breaking point.” Soul to Soul is looking ahead to its next chapter, however — Marshall and Robinson have launched a fundraising campaign to support the restaurant as it considers next steps.

4th Street Saloon

4th Street Saloon, a fixture of North Minneapolis for nearly four decades, closed on March 31. Manager Mike Oker made the announcement on Facebook, thanking customers for their patronage across the years. There’s a silver lining, though: North News reports that local barber Teto Wilson, a friend of Oker’s, is buying the property, with plans to open a food hall called Swank Eatery. He hopes to start construction this fall, according to North news.

Tori 44

Tori 44, the pork-free ramen restaurant known for flavor-packed chicken, duck, and vegetable-based broths, announced via social media on March 8 that its North Minneapolis restaurant is closed, writing “Proud of the delicious comforting chicken/vegan ramen that we’ve made these last 6 years, but alas it’s become untenable to noodle around any longer.” Chef and owner Jason Dorweiler is keeping the St. Paul Tori Ramen open, however, so stop by for a bowl of citrusy salted duck dashi or “Bali” ramen, swimming with tahini and chili oil.

Apoy

Filipino restaurant Apoy, first opened by friends Curt Rademacher, Shawn Nafstad, and Sherwin Resurreccion in 2018, served its last meal March 23, after more than five years in south Minneapolis. Known for its crispy lechon kawali and lumpia, kare-kare, and cool glasses of halo-halo, Apoy brought a notable bar program to Nicollet Avenue, offering grilled pineapple coladas and spiced banana rye cocktails alongside weekly karaoke nights and live music. In a long Facebook post, the restaurant thanked the local community for its support over the years. There’s good news, though: Apoy plans to reopen its long-dormant food truck.

Galactic Pizza

Lyndale Avenue’s Galactic Pizza shut down abruptly on March 5, announcing the closure via social media and thanking customers and staff. First opened by Peter Bonahoom in 2004, the restaurant meshed its funky superhero theme with an environmentally conscious approach, offering plentiful vegan and vegetarian options and famously delivering pizzas in miniature three-wheeled electric cars.

Momento

Momento, the Mediterranean restaurant that Morrissey Hospitality brought to St. Paul’s former Pazzaluna space in the summer of 2022, announced via social media that it would close; its last day of service was March 16. The space remains open for catering, events, and potential pop-ups, however.

Coconut Whisk Cafe

Downtown Minneapolis’s vegan and gluten-free cafe, Coconut Whisk, announced via social media that it would close; its last day of service was March 23. Owners Bella Lam and Myles Olson told Downtown Voices that though it was a bittersweet choice to leave downtown, they plan to focus on expanding their packaged mixes business, also called Coconut Whisk, which offers vegan and gluten-free baking mixes.

Pankoeken Huis

After a 25-year run, St. Louis Park’s Pankoeken Huis closed abruptly on February 25. Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal reports that the restaurant posted a sign on its door signaling the closure, expressing gratitude and telling customers “our paths may cross again” if owner Derek Moberg can find a new location. Moberg invited customers to reach out with questions at pannekoeken.slp@yahoo.com.

McCoy Public House

After 20 years in St. Louis Park, McCoy Public House announced via social media that it would close on March 30. Owner Marty Collins opened the restaurant with his father Tom in 2003 — Collins told the Star Tribune, “Our regulars have been our lifeblood; we will miss them tremendously.” To give customers the chance to say goodbye, McCoy’s hosted a St. Patty’s Day party from March 15 to 17, and an “Irish wake” March 29 and 30.

Magnolia’s

St. Paul restaurant Magnolia’s is temporarily closed following a late-February fire — keep an eye on Facebook for reopening updates.

Hell’s Cafeteria

Hell’s Cafeteria, the quick-serve sister cafe of Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis, served its last meal on February 23. According to a post on Hell’s Kitchen’s Instagram page, the cafe was built to serve office crowds at lunch, but those crowds “never materialized” following the pandemic’s effective emptying of office buildings in downtown Minneapolis. There’s a silver lining, though: Hell’s Kitchen has been thriving lately, according to the post. “We’re THRILLED that our mothership has continued its post-covid recovery,” it reads.

Tattersall Distilling in Northeast

In an abrupt ending to a tricky eviction case, Tattersall is not renewing the lease of its distillery and cocktail room in Northeast Minneapolis at the end of 2024. Here’s the story on the eviction drama, and here’s the story on the closure.

Old Log Theater and Cast & Cru Restaurant

Minnesota’s oldest theater closed March 2, and its restaurantm Cast & Cru, along with it. Owners Greg & Marissa Frankenfield made the announcement on the Old Log’s Facebook page on February 20, expressing gratitude for the staff, artists, and customers who’ve supported the theater through its 84-year run. This also means the end of Cast & Cru’s Jingle Bar, one of the Cities’ coziest holiday pop-ups.

Black Coffee and Waffle Bar

The original Black Coffee and Waffle Bar closed March 17 in Minneapolis’s Como neighborhood. The restaurant made the announcement on Facebook, writing “There are always a variety of reasons why decisions like this are made, but the simplest one is that it’s time for a change.” Vitality Roasting plans to open a coffee shop in the space later this year. BCWB’s location in St. Paul, Roseville, and Fargo remain open.

Tavern on Grand

Walleye legend Tavern on Grand is closing this June after near 35 years. Here’s the full story.

First Draft Tap Haus and Burnt Chicken

The North Loop’s self-serve taproom and fried chicken operation closed on January 31. Owner Andrew Valen told Eater that First Draft was no longer “viable” due the “shifting landscape” of Minneapolis. A January Instagram post expressed gratitude to regulars, friends, and customers in the North Loop. “Thank you for providing us the opportunity to provide a unique drinking and dining experience, and for supporting a concept that was rather foreign when we opened,” it reads.

Arepa Bar at Midtown Global Market

Chef Soleil Ramirez shut down her Midtown Global Market Venezuelan restaurant, Arepa Bar, in early February. Ramirez made the announcement on Facebook, citing concerns for the safety of her employees. (In a recent story, Twin Cities Business dug into perceptions of safety at MGM, and spoke with other vendors about their experiences at the market.) In March, Arepa Bar is partnering with Ramirez’s other restaurant, Crasqui, and transitioning to a catering business, offering Venezuelan dishes like ceviche, croquetas de yuca, polvorosa de pollo, and golfeados.