It’s a fact of life that most restaurants don’t survive 5 years and are replaced by shiny new stars with dreams of success. The disturbing trend, though, is how many long-time legends are closing their doors.
Jaws dropped when Copenhagen’s Noma, rated the world’s best restaurant, recently announced its closure after two decades. Chicago’s Spiaggia shuttered after 37 years. South Carolina’s beloved Harry’s Local is closing after 20 years. French Quarter’s landmark K-Paul’s called it quits after 41 years, and Cafe Texan ended its 83 year run. But the closure of New York’s Paris Cafe, open since 1873 could be the biggest stunner after 150 years in business.
Here in Minnesota, David Fong’s (60 years), Stella’s (17), William’s Uptown Pub (51), Keefer Court (40), Khyber Pass (37), Rock Bottom Brewery (30), Erté (21 ), Asia Chow Mein (50), Camdi (35 years) and other iconic eateries also threw in the towel.
Why in the world would restaurants that crawled on their knees to survive the brutal years of covid now decide to close? We’re obviously not privy to each establishment’s circumstances, but from our own experience, we’re fairly certain it’s because of the unrelenting increase in costs, from eggs to labor to delivery surcharges and supplies. Adding insult to injury, some items are in such shortage that we have to use up precious dollars and bulk up on them when we finally can get our paws on necessities such as frying oil. Katy Gerdes from Angel Food Bakery (our little sister) spent weeks hunting down confectioner’s sugar, and when she finally spotted a new shipment at Costco, she ran over and loaded up an entire pallet of 50 pound bags into her car just to get her through Christmas.
It’s been absolutely unrelenting, and by now you’ve noticed most eateries have inched up prices, added surcharges, tweaked hours, relied on QR codes to save on paper menu costs, and danced like crazy to figure things out. Most of us are exasperated and exhausted, but day after day, we keep showing up to turn on our lights and open our doors with a smile. So please, puh-leeeze continue to support your favorite spots, no matter where you live. As one restaurateur recently posted, “No extravagant meals needed or expensive bottles of wine. Just stopping by for a quick bite and tipping a few extra bucks or grabbing some takeout can make a big difference in what will likely be another tough year for many of your favorite restaurants."
Thank you from all of us across the globe for your continued support. We love you, we want you, and we all still need you.
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