At L2 at Tii Cup, the Minneapolis cocktail bar known for its spiked boba drinks, Fridays are reliably busy.
“Fridays are usually our best night of the week, and weekends are when we can make sustainable profit for the business,” L2 at Tii Cup’s owners say, responding via Instagram. On top of that, business has slowed substantially over the last week and a half as federal agents have terrorized the Twin Cities immigrant community. The Uptown bar could really use a solid weekend of business.
And yet, L2 at Tii Cup will be closed this Friday. It’s one of dozens of local restaurants that has announced its participation in the ICE Out! strike and economic blackout that’s taking place in response to Operation Metro Surge. Bull’s Horn, Bar La Grassa, Meteor, Minari—scores of local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops have made the decision to close on January 23, with more announcing their closures every day.
(Bring Me the News is maintaining a massive running list of businesses, including restaurants, that will be closed for the strike.)
“I will admit I dragged my feet,” says Wes Burdine, owner of the Black Hart of St. Paul, on the decision to shut down Friday. “For every place like Black Hart winter is really tough, and losing the busiest day means bartenders lose their tips, and then I'll be asking, ‘Can I make payroll?’”
At Black Duck Spirits and Hearth in northeast Minneapolis, chef/owner Jason Sawicki says his crew struggled with the same concerns.
“We’ve tried to keep a low profile because our staff’s safety is our top priority. Everyone is deeply upset about what’s happening, but many of us are afraid to speak out. I share that fear myself,” Sawicki says. “Still, after talking with the team, we reached a mutual decision: Even though closing Friday means losing a much-needed day of income to cover payroll and rent and could draw more ICE activity, it's worth it to stand with our community in this strike.”
Friday’s action, initially proposed by local faith leaders, has since been endorsed by a number of Minnesota labor unions, including Unite Here Local 17, the state’s largest hospitality union. Sawicki’s sentiments echo those spreading across social media as more and more restaurants announce their Friday closures.
“[W]e feel it’s important to take a stand and acknowledge that as long as ICE is occupying our city, it’s not business as usual,” write the folks behind Hai Hai and Hola Arepa.
“We won’t stand for this shit. See you out there!” the Bichota Coffee team writes on Instagram.
“Count us in. We’ll be CLOSED this Friday 1/23 in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors and friends,” reads the announcement from Marty’s Deli. “F*ck ICE, gtfo of our community.”
EGGFLIP owner Flip Koumalasy says the decision to close his Korean-inspired egg sandwich chain's locations throughout Minnesota was not one he came to lightly, but that it felt like the right one. "We believe owning a business is about more than food or sales—it’s about people and community. Minnesota is home to us, and our staff is at the heart of everything we do," he says. "This was a decision made together within our team, to stand alongside the people who make our doors worth opening."
“With so many other bars and restaurants committed to it as well, it feels like the momentum is there to have a real impact,” the team at L2 says, adding that participating in the economic blackout felt like “something actionable” that the restaurant could do to make a strong statement—and hopefully, bring national media attention to the cause.
Black Hart's Burdine had a knot in his stomach when he shared the closing announcement: “Felt like COVID shutdowns again and all the anxiety there,” he says. But he had spoken with drag king Dick Von Dyke, who was scheduled to perform on Friday night; Von Dyke encouraged him to close the bar. Events can move around, Burdine notes, and an otherwise quiet Thursday can turn into a big party. Black Hart has also set up a solidarity fund that’ll go toward buying folks drinks on Thursday and Saturday night.
“Unlike large corporations, we don’t have the capital to absorb the financial hit of shutting down,” Sawicki says. “We’re already fighting hard to stay afloat, to serve our community, and to show compassion in tough times.”
He says he’s spoken with a number of other restaurant owners who wish that the blackout was taking place on a different day of the week, but participating was the right choice to give hope to their staff, customers, and anyone else who’s afraid right now. “That’s why we’re doing this,” he says. “We are Minnesotans, and it’s the right thing to do.”
L2's owners hope people keep showing up and keep supporting local small businesses every day (aside from January 23). “A huge portion of our clientele is young people from immigrant families—Vietnamese, Hmong, Somali, Hispanic, etc.—most of whom might not even live in Minneapolis and drive into the city to visit L2,” they say. Like many, they fear the long-term impact of ICE activity on their business and others that rely on a primarily immigrant customer base.
“There are so many mercados and restaurants that are shut down right now,” Burdine says. Last week, the Star Tribune reported that close to 80% of immigrant-owned businesses in cultural corridors like Minneapolis’s Lake Street were closed as ICE rampaged through the Twin Cities. “They don't have some secret stash of savings either,” he continues. “And we need to recognize the moment. This isn't business as usual. That's what solidarity is about.”
