ST PAUL, Minn. — The coffee will be perking again at St. Paul’s iconic Mickey’s Diner, thanks to a New Year surge of donations now totaling more $67,000.
“It's truly amazing,” says Melissa Mattson, whose grandfather co-founded Mickey’s 82 years ago.
Last Friday, Mattson broke into tears as she recounted the financial pressure COVID-19 has placed on her family’s 36-seat dining car.
“I lay awake at night thinking what would my grandfather tell me to do – how do you navigate this?” she said in a story that aired News Year’s Day on KARE 11.
More than 1900 supporters responded, pushing donations to a GoFundMe page past the $50,000 goal the family had set.
“I personally felt like there was hope, not just for us, but just for everyone who was donating,” Klein said on Monday. “Hope that we're going to see a return to normalcy, that we’re going to get through this.”
COVID-19 restrictions were particularly hard on Mickey’s, with a tiny floor plan that allowed for only a handful of customers under Minnesota’s social distancing and maximum occupancy rules.
The Mattsons tried pick-up service but closed completely when winter weather cut into even that.
The donations mean patient vendors can now be paid, according to Mattson.
She’s also anxious to fix the broken neon sign atop Mickey’s, that went dark during the pandemic.
Mattson says she’s overwhelmed with a feeling of relief. “There's also a sense of obligation now. I feel like I've got an obligation to a lot of people.”
Mattson sympathizes with other restaurant owners facing similar struggles. She hopes they can find their own path forward.
It’s too soon to say when Mickey’s will re-open, but when it does, expect gratitude on the menu.
“We look forward and seeing and serving you soon,” Mattson said.