Throughout a summer of busy events this summer, including Taylor Swift and Beyonce appearances, Minneapolis hotels and restaurants are reporting surges in business.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – It was a good summer for Minneapolis hotels, largely due to sporting and other large events, the State Fair and Taylor Swift’s concerts in June. Business leaders hope to keep building the momentum by encouraging tourists and Minnesotans to continue to come back downtown.
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Minneapolis hotels had a Blank Space, and Taylor Swift wrote her name. Nearly 20,000 rooms were occupied the weekend of her Eras Tour, the Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Kiwanis International Convention. Hotel occupancy rates reached 96.3 and 93.9 percent on the days of Swift’s concerts.
“When Taylor Swift was in town, we set a record for the most hotel rooms sold over the course of a weekend,” said Courtney Ries, the senior vice president of branding and strategy for Meet Minneapolis.
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But the signs of positive recovery this summer didn’t stop there. The final week of summer had the highest demand for Minneapolis hotel rooms since 2019, according to Meet Minneapolis. More than 56,000 hotel rooms were occupied from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, due to a number of events, including the 2023 Gay Softball World Series.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the demand for hotel rooms was up 11 percent from last summer. And when hotel rooms are full, people are also shopping and eating downtown.
“Things are happening here. It’s a great downtown. It’s one of the best downtowns in the country. And I think that we’re more than ready to showcase that once again,” said Tim Murray, the owner of Murray’s Steakhouse.
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Murray said he’s been encouraged by the uptick in business. Tourism leaders say the city isn’t back to pre-pandemic numbers, in part due to business travel not fully making a return, but things are headed in the right direction.
As the fall calendar kicks off, with sports and events like the Twin Cities Marathon, Meet Minneapolis is also launching a fall campaign targeting greater Minnesota and the four border states. Business leaders hope to keep the momentum going next year with the Big 10 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and Olympic trials for gymnastics.
MINNEAPOLIS — The menu offers plenty of options, but fans of the Red Dragon say they’ll miss how the restaurant really nourished their souls.
“It feels like family,” patron Kathleen Spitzer told WCCO. “Everybody — the servers and bartenders — are so nice. It feels like a home away from home.”
Red Dragon’s current owner, Phil Wong, said the restaurant and bar will shut down on Sunday after nearly 50 years in business; it first opened on Dec. 29, 1976.
“People love this place. They like to come here and drink and hang out,” Wong lamented. “I love them all. They show a lot of love to us and they enjoy our establishment.”
The Red Dragon restaurant on March 18, 1994.
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According to Wong, 73, finances and his longevity were contributing factors. The former engineer took over the business from his brother in 2007.
“It costs a little bit more — the food, the meat, the vegetables,” he added. “Minneapolis, too, the minimum wage went up.”
Still, Wong said he leaves with no regrets.
“I feel good about it. I think it’s time to move on,” he said. “We’re ending on a good note.”
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Red Dragon is the latest of several Twin Cities eateries to shutter in 2024, including the St. Paul staple Tavern on Grand. Even newer restaurants, like Kim’s from award-winning chef Ann Kim, also in Uptown, could not survive.
Jonah Kaplan
Jonah Kaplan is WCCO and CBS News Minnesota’s investigative reporter and has built a strong reputation for his balanced and in-depth coverage of high-impact issues including the economy, immigration, education, public safety, and the military, among others.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Dozens of flights were delayed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Friday morning.
Dozens of flights delayed
By the numbers: According to MSP Airport’s website, as of 11:51 a.m., two departures were canceled and 36 were delayed. Meanwhile, 11 arrivals were canceled and 16 were delayed.
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FlightAware says there have been more than 19,000 delays and 525 cancelations globally, while there have been more than 3,400 delays and 525 cancelations within, into or out of the United States as of 11:57 a.m. on Thursday.
The weather forecast: This comes as a dense fog advisory is in effect until noon on Friday across Minnesota, and rain is expected for much of Friday and Friday night. There are also storms on the east and west coasts that could cause some travel problems.
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Several airports across the United States have ground delays due to weather, according to the FAA’s website.
Increased travel at MSP Airport
What they’re saying: The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) expected a 6% year-over-year increase in screened passengers between Dec. 20, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025. Thursday, Dec. 26, was expected to be the busiest day during the stretch, with nearly 50,000 people expected to pass through security at MSP.
This week’s Fab Five photo display includes highlights from Minneapolis South’s 88-84 boys basketball victory over Minneapolis North on Wednesday, December 11.
The photos include two South players who led them with 22 points each (DeAmontre Scott and Eugene Brown), the player who scored 22 points to lead North (JMarion Sanders), North’s point guard who scored 14 points (Allen Hill), and a former Marshall University High School and Augsburg University great officiating the game (Ronnie Henderson).
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.
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