As we get close to the end of 2022,
we sadly are entering the next
year with fewer food options.
As you know COVID,
this economy that really hit our restaurant
industry hard and Minneapolis alone.
A number of long standing
institutions have hung it up.
Rock Bottom Brewery 7 Steakhouse and Sushi,
Williams Pub and Peanut Bar,
Amory, Uptown, Stella's Fish Cafe,
the list goes on and on.
The restaurant business is incredibly hard.
Their average lifespan a
restaurant is 5 years and by some
estimates up to 90% of brand new.
Restaurants fail in the very first year,
according to USA TODAY,
so it's incredible when we think
about the restaurants that have been
around for what seems like forever.
Keefer Court Bakery and Cafe
in Minneapolis is one of them.
Asia Chow Main and Columbia
Heights is another.
They've been going for 4050 years,
but this week?
Those come to an end as well.
And Sharon talked to the families
behind those two iconic Chinese
restaurants about why they
made this difficult decision,
that it was time to hang it
up and what's next.
Late morning at Kiefer Court Chinese bakery.
What already means the Quan family
is at the tail end of their prep,
giving that we lived upstairs.
In the mornings, I would wake
up and my parents would already
be down here cooking and baking,
and I would remember like coming down that
routine. I'm on auto Mode
has held steady for 40
years. OK, what's next, Danny? You
know, just sprinkle eye. You know,
four children, it's all grew up.
Founder Sonny says he remembers what being
busy all the time meant for Michelle.
Still trying to catch up,
he remembers her asking all my friends,
the parents bring them to the
playground for the weekend.
Then you have to work.
So busy now, I can tell you
we're going to close, you know,
the end of the month. Now
we can go to the playground together.
OK, one curried beef pop
and for Michelle who grew up within the
walls of the bakery 2 egg tarts always
wanting to continue her parents legacy.
Thank you so much. Have a great day,
says she came to a realization.
Been doing this for five years and
in the back of my mind I knew I
wasn't going to be able to do this
for 40 years as much as I wanted to.
Just the amount of work that goes into it.
I don't know how they did it for 40 years,
but I'm just going this is not sustainable.
Across town in Columbia Heights,
the story at Asia. Charmaine
is similar, yet different.
Tim and his parents started 1972 in a strip
mall across the street from us,
serving up made to order Chow
main for the last half a century.
The eggs are hanging up their hats, too.
It was very hard to decide that.
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 struggled like
we have the last three years,
Winnie says. What served as a mold
for success for the prior generation
is one that no longer fits.
The American Dream,
maybe is for our parents because
they think immigrant here,
they will make a better living.
A better education for the kids.
But I really don't know what
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,
the Anglo American dream came
in the form of accepting that
when the body wants a break,
it just might need one. All
the people that came through 50
years and we really appreciate.
Their loyalty and their business
and hopefully. You know, and
and the new phase of journey
that has two can, you know,
have relaxation time together.
Saying goodbye is so hard when it was
always more than just about the food.
I'm very sociable. And I talked
to people a lot. They can
talk to me about everything,
their family to me. Yeah.
Thanks for all the royal customer fans.
Have a wonderful day. Hello.
The last 40 years support,
Kifer Court I. I can't say anymore,
just thank you, but I appreciate that.
I love those restaurants.
Asia chow mains.
Final day will be December 23rd,
so keep the line coming.
Make it go out the door.
Keefer court, December 31st.
Do the same there.
You can get those final orders in.
And I can't recommend them both enough.
They're wonderful places.
Well, we'll move on.