MINNEAPOLIS — The Twin Cities will be entering the new year without several longstanding food options. Both COVID and the economy have taken a hard toll on dining establishments.
In Minneapolis alone, a number of long-standing institutions have called it quits. Rock Bottom Brewery, Seven Steakhouse and Sushi, Williams Pub and Peanut Bar, Amore Uptown and Stella's Fish Cafe to name a few.
The average lifespan of restaurants is five years and by some estimates, up to 90 percent of new eateries fail within its very first year, according to USA Today.
So it's rare to hear about spots like Keefer Court Bakery and Café in Minneapolis and Asia Chow Mein in Columbia Heights that have been operating for 40 and 50 years, respectively.
However, this week, the business comes to an end for them, too.
Late morning at Keefer Court Chinese bakery already means the Kwan family is at the tail end of their prep.
"Given that we lived up stairs, in the morning, I would wake up and my parents would already be down here, cooking and baking and I would remember coming down," Michelle Kwan said.
By 9:30 a.m. people are lined up outside of the locked doors. Just before that, phones start to ring, with people cautiously hoping someone might answer, a few minutes before opening time.
That routine has held steady for 40 years.
"Well, it's just blink of eye," Owner and Founder Sunny Kwan said. "I have four children; all grew up."
Sunny said he remembers what being busy all the time meant for his daughter Michelle. He said he remembers her asking on a weekend, if she would ever be able to go to the playground with her parents.
"'All my friends, the parents bring them to the playground, for the weekend, but you have to work so busy on the weekend especially,'" he recalled. "'So when you close [we can go].'
"Now I can tell you, we're going to close the end of the month," Sunny said, facing Michelle and laughing.
And for Michelle who grew up within the walls of the bakery, always wanting to continue her parents' legacy, said she came to a realization during the time she helped out her parents.
"I've been doing this for five years, in the back of my mind [I thought] 'I can't do this for 40 years, just the amount of work that goes into it --I don't know how they did it for 40 years, it's not sustainable for me," she said.
Across town in Columbia Heights, the story at Asia Chow Mein is similar...yet different.
"Tim and his parents started in 1972, in a strip mall across the street from us, where Walgreens is now," co-owner Winning Ng said, referring to her husband.
After having served up made-to-order chow mein for the last half a century, the Ngs are hanging their hats up too.
"It was very hard to decide that," Ng said. "At first, I was going to have my son take over, but now with so many obstacles and so many unknowns in this industry, I just hate for him to take over and he will be struggling like we have the last three years."
Winnie said what served as a mold for success the prior generation, is one that no longer fits.
"The American dream maybe is for our parents," Winnie said. "Because they think, immigrate here, they will make a better living, a better education for the kids. But I really don't know what the outcome would be if we were to stay. I still have cousins and people back home and they're doing really good too, you know?"
Ng said she is grateful for the sacrifice that her and Tim's parents made. She recognizes the difficulty of moving to America, without speaking English, with the hopes of providing a better future for their children. She admired that they took the time to learn English, to navigate American cities, to learn how to walk in the snow, to learn to love eating American food.
Ng explained that she believes many immigrant families start restaurants because it's possibly one of the easier businesses to run when language is a barrier.
"Just work and cook in the back and put someone who speaks English up front," she explained.
However, Ng's American Dream ended up looking quite a bit different from Tim's parents'. It came in the form of accepting that when the body wants a break, it just might need one.
"All the people who came through for fifty years, we really appreciate their loyalty and their business," Ng said, her voice thick with emotion. "And hopefully in the face of new journey that us two can have relaxation time together."
Saying goodbye is so hard, when it was always more than just about the food. Ng reflected on the days when they did have dine-in service, that she loved working up front to talk to the regulars. She said surprisingly many people have ordered the same exact thing for fifty years.
"I'm very sociable, and I talk to people a lot, and they seem like they can talk to me about everything," she said. "More or less they're family to me."
When asked about any last words he'd like to get out to the community, Sunny's face changes, also heavy with emotion.
"Thanks for all the loyal customers, fans, the last 40 years support Keefer Court," he said. "I can't say any more, just 'thank you' and I appreciate it, thanks for support."
Asia Chow Mein's final day will be December 23rd. Keefer Court will be open until December 31st.
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