Minneapolis, MN

'There just aren't many places left': Why late-night options have dwindled in Minneapolis

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2024

'There just aren't many places left': Why late-night options have dwindled in Minneapolis

The small crowd eating wings and omelets at 3 a.m. inside the Nicollet Diner used to have a lot more choices if they wanted a casual overnight bite in Minneapolis. Now, this Loring Park spot is one of the only options in the city for a post-midnight meal.

“There just aren’t many places left to get something to eat this late,” said 25-year-old Myles Lamar on a Thursday after dark earlier this spring, seated with friends.

A growing number of Minneapolis businesses have pulled back on their late-night hours in the past couple of years, a trend that applies to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants that were once known for staying open all night, or at least close to it.

In interviews, managers, workers and a retail association president listed a few reasons for this drop in late-night offerings, including a decline in business, concerns over public safety and changes in consumer expectations in a post-pandemic world.

Sam Turner, the owner of the Nicollet Diner, said he also thinks it’s a troubling trend, and that it indicates Minneapolis isn’t offering the number of late-night amenities that should be expected in a major metropolitan city.

“If your flight lands in Minneapolis and you’re starving after checking into your hotel downtown at 3 a.m., you have zero options,” Turner said. “We’re an option, but that’s about the only one, and that’s just very rare for a city of our size.”

The change is also a blow to some who work nighttime shifts and hope to find something to eat other than fast food.

Sierra Jones, who had just finished her shift at a warehouse, was sitting with her husband at a booth at the diner around 2 a.m. They used to have a few go-to restaurants for a late-night meal, but their choices have narrowed to just the Nicollet.

“We could’ve gone to McDonald’s,” Sierra said, wincing at the thought, “but this is a good place to talk and we know the food is good.”

In Uptown, both the Walgreens on Hennepin Avenue and the Cub Foods on Lagoon Avenue switched in recent months from staying open overnight to closing at midnight. The Holiday gas station store, just north of Walgreens on Hennepin Avenue, recently backed up its closing time from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m.

At the Walgreens, overnight hours were removed in order to “accommodate customer and patient needs while optimizing staffing levels in the area,” a corporate spokesperson said in an email.

Walgreens employee Kendall Olivares said he isn’t sure what led to the reduction in hours, but he noted that staffing has been a challenge. There have also been instances where employees have felt unsafe approaching someone who is shoplifting, which Olivares said happens frequently. Since the reduction of hours in February, “a lot” of customers have told employees they miss the convenience of having a 24/7 Walgreens in the area.

The Uptown Diner, another late-night staple, curtailed its dine-in hours following the pandemic, and for the past several years only offered to-go food after 10 p.m. The diner resumed full 24/7 dine-in service this past summer when Taylor Swift performed in Minneapolis and created additional foot traffic, but that lasted only a few months, general manager Pablo Forero said. Earlier this month, the diner removed its overnight takeout option for Sunday through Thursday, and now goes dark after 11 p.m. on those days.

Forero said it didn’t make sense financially to continue offering late-night dine-in services due to a significant decrease in business.

“Ten years ago, I was seeing another ten- to fifteen-thousand dollars in a week,” Forero said.

With changes to the Uptown Cub Foods’ hours, all six locations in Minneapolis now close at midnight or 10 p.m. Some suburban Cub Foods stores, including in St. Louis Park and Bloomington, still stay open all night. Cub Foods’ owner, UNFI, said in a statement that the company reduced some stores’ hours as an “experiment to understand what would best serve customers.” The company did not answer additional questions.

The number of all-hours restaurants has also decreased nationwide by about 18% since just before the pandemic, according to data from Yelp. Los Angeles saw a much bigger drop, at 35%, while New York and Chicago saw more modest decreases. A quick Google search shows those cities still have significantly more round-the-clock restaurants than the Twin Cities.

Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, said he thinks one factor is that consumers have become more accepting of a store changing hours since the COVID-19 pandemic forced most places to do so.

“Retailers just don’t always see as much pushback on hour changes that we used to, because consumers are more understanding and more flexible in their expectations,” Nustad said.

Some stores have also struggled to maintain enough staff, Nustad said, leading them to reduce hours to operate with a smaller workforce.

Concern about late-night crime is another factor.

“I’ve seen retailers say, ‘You know what? Instead of closing at 10, we’re going to close at 8 because we tend to see more problems in that later evening,’” Nustad said.

At the Uptown Diner, Forero said he thinks customers are becoming more concerned about crime in the area and are going to other parts of the metro to eat instead.

“It’s not like people ever steal from here or anything, but it does affect where people want to go out and eat,” Forero said.

Overall, violent crime decreased in Minneapolis in 2023. But in Uptown Diner’s neighborhood – Lowry Hill East – several crime categories spiked.

The neighborhood had 20 shooting victims last year, more than in any of the past five years. It has also seen a significant rise in gunfire reports, from 29 in 2019 to 109 in 2023. The number of aggravated assaults reached a five-year high, with 83 assaults in 2023.

Forero said it became necessary to pay for a security guard during the overnight hours, which made staying open late more costly. About a month ago, the diner did widen its hours, and now allows sit-down dining until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 11 p.m. the rest of the week.

Turner offered a different opinion. He said it’s a false perception that Minneapolis has become especially dangerous, adding that he thinks a majority of city residents don’t have the same sentiment.

Instead, Turner said he thinks it’s important to have more foot traffic in the city and keep food establishments open late at night to combat that perception.

“If there were more activated spaces in downtown, I think that there would be a higher sense of safety when people come to visit,” he said.

Star Tribune staff writer Jeff Hargarten contributed to this story.

Source link

Minneapolis, MN

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken.

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone.

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented.

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request.

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers.

Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face.

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

In:

Source link

Minneapolis, MN

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

Published

24 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

MODE by Flickr

The Twin Cities has long been a hotbed of creative inspiration and artistic storytelling—from world-class cultural institutions to large-scale art and film festivals that propel emerging makers and creators into the spotlight. But, for the first time, local photographers are primed to receive a multi-day that is uniquely their own—geared toward all things visual, digital, and candid.

Today, global photo-sharing platform Flickr announced the launch of MODE by Flickr, a three-day photography festival set to take place Sept. 18-20—right in the heart of Minneapolis. A first-of-its-kind event, the inaugural lineup will gather some of the biggest names inartvisual media, from Emmy-nominated director and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski to renowned culinary photographer Penny De Los Santos, as well as sponsorship support from global media companies including Fujifilm, HOVERAir, and more.

Whether attendees are coming to network, learn, or simply, admire, MODE will feature a variety of welcoming spaces designed to foster a dynamic exchange of creative energy. Expect immersive workshops led by industry legends, hands-on demonstrations, mind-expanding exhibitions, and special programming designed by Black Women Photographers’ Polly Irungu and Inside Out Project.

“MODE is photography in motion—alive, interactive, and deeply rooted in community,” said Ben MacAskill in a prepared statement, President and COO at SmugMug and Flickr. “For more than 20 years, Flickr has brought the world’s photographers together online. Now, we’re bringing that spirit away from devices and connecting in the real world with a festival built for creativity and the future of photography and visual arts.”

Designed around seven thematic pillars, MODE aims to bring the full spectrum of photography to life—uniting world-shifting storytelling, emerging tools, business insights, motion-driven media, cultural diversity, analog processes, and environmental responsibility. These seven pillars will float through each diverse experience, from live portrait shoots, tech demos, and editing workshops to photojournalism panels, film screenings, and instant-film activations.

Flickr’s choice of Minneapolis as its launchpad feels telling of an overarching alignment of values—the city a mirror for MODE’s core mission of celebrating creativity and community while prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. To support this mission, the festival will be equipped with accessible venues, thoughtful sustainability measures, diverse programming, and a careful artist selection process that prioritizes representation and artistic vision.

Tickets are available now, starting at $300 for Flickr Pro members, and between $330 and $660 for general admission and VIP passes. For more information on ticketing, and updated programming announcements, visit modefestival.com.

Source link

Minneapolis, MN

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

In response to Tom McDonough’s recent letter regarding ICE in Minneapolis and the impending doom that could be coming our way from operation “Metro Surge,” I offer a different perspective.

I was born, raised and lived in the great state of Minnesota for many years. Fortunately, I was raised outside of the metropolitan area in a very conservative, rural setting. It was far away from the Twin Cities cesspool that exists amongst the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

I travel home to see family and friends often. Prior to 2020, flying into Minneapolis and taking light rail was comfortable, easy, safe and convenient. However, after COVID, the George Floyd riots and now the Metro Surge fiasco, I will no longer feel safe in Minneapolis. I pretty much despise travelling to my home state any longer.

The state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis created this mess, and they now are trying to blame the U.S. government for it all. Venture outside of the Twin Cities area and you will find that most of the rural folks see it for what it is and are waiting for accountability and change. They don’t believe the hype, finger-pointing and misinformation from afar. Nor do I.

Source link