Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.
Sorry, Is Ann Kim Canceled?
Since closing her Uptown restaurant, Kim's, shortly after the staff voted to unionize last year, Minneapolis restaurateur Ann Kim has seemingly done just fine for herself. She introduced a line of frozen pizzas and snacks in collaboration with Target, which was covered favorably by outlets from the Star Tribune to WCCO to Twin Cities Business and reviewed favorably by Axios Twin Cities, KARE 11, and others. None of those outlets made mention of her recent apparent union busting.
She also opened a Pizzeria Lola trailer at Indeed Brewing in Northeast—again, covered with excitement by the Star Tribune, MSP Mag, KARE 11, and others. Again, none discussed the union stuff in their coverage (though the Strib did include a link referring to the "contentious closure" of Kim's).
So it might shock you to learn, as we did in a Friday column from the Star Tribune's Laura Yeun, that Ann Kim has been canceled. Yes, you see, after her popular restaurant Young Joni closes for good tonight in Northeast, it's time for us to "stop trying to cancel" her. "In an uber-liberal town like Minneapolis, Kim’s story demonstrates that if you are a business owner who falls on the wrong side of unions, you will be a target for scorn," Yuen writes, arguing that Kim's gender is to blame, at least in part, for the "blowback" she's faced.
OK, lots to unpack here:
- Kim is not closing Young Joni because of any public backlash; she's closing Young Joni because she's being sued by her landlord, Lander Group. Allegedly she owes $143,000 in back rent.
- Can't believe this needs to be said, but the concept of cancelation simply is not real. See: Louis C.K., Roman Polanski, Chris Brown, Woody Allen, Dave Chapelle, Kanye West, etc., etc., etc.
- Yes, some people—I would say it's a minority, frankly—are frustrated with Ann Kim for the way she treated her workers, and guess what? They're entitled to feel that way!
- Lots of other people still love and patronize Kim's restaurants and are vocal in that support. Kim is still beloved by the local food community—not just food writers, but chefs, other restaurateurs, and television personalities. She's regularly invited to participate in local events. Our worker-owned news outlet has been vocal about Kim's anti-labor actions, and I still see friends posting filmstrips from Young Joni. I don't give them a hard time about it. Know why? Because she's not fucking canceled.
- The Star Tribune is a union newsroom. That's all I have to say about that.
- When Kim Bartmann (!!!) is quoted as your character witness, you're in serious trouble.
I, Racket's de facto food/drink editor Em Cassel, know the restaurant business is tough. Really, I do. I'm also sure that Ann Kim will be fine. There's no way a few angry people on Bluesky and Instagram are cutting into her bottom line that much, and when you have the rest of local food media throwing its weight behind your every new endeavor, what's the occasional angry social media post? To have a Strib columnist writing at length about how you're undeserving of scorn... if only local unions got that same treatment.
And, to paraphrase myself, if you as a business owner want support from young people, progressive people, and the working class—the folks who are vocally upset? Then you have to act in a way that aligns with their values, even if it slightly dings your (seemingly substantial) wealth. Sorry! But that's it! You are simply not owed support from the very class of people you fucked over.
Video: U of M Cop Pushes Picketer to Ground
Earlier this month, members of Teamsters Local 320 rejected a final contract offer from the University of Minnesota, which resulted in about 1,400 custodians, maintenance workers, and food staffers going on strike.
Enter the scabs, who apparently get the benefit of campus police protection as they cross picket lines—even if it means use of force. Antiwar MN posted some disturbing video footage to TikTok on Thursday that appears to show a university cop shoving a sign-carrying protester to the ground as he yells “stop resisting!”
Late Friday afternoon, the U's PR team provided the following statement to Racket:
The University is aware of this situation. Picketers were unlawfully preventing a vehicle from using the public right of way and resisting officers’ lawful orders to step aside. Unintentional results like this may occur in dynamic situations. What the video that’s out there does not show, is that right after it cuts off, our officer attends to this person and asks if they need medical attention. UMPD is unable to identify this person and has not received a complaint. If we receive one, we will investigate it, as we do with every complaint we receive.
This isn't the first conflict between police and strikers this week. On Thursday, between six and 12 strikers were cuffed, cited for "allegedly intentionally interfering with the use of public property," and released. In response, the Teamsters filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the U, alleging that UMN police and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office deputies have engaged in “a coordinated effort to intimidate protesters.” Looks like they have more evidence now.
Watch Out, Target! The So-Called Euro Target is Coming To MOA.
OK, calling Dublin, Ireland-based Primark a Euro Target is a little misleading—the company is mostly seen as competitors of fast-fashion mega-stores like Zara or H&M. But Primark does sell a little bit of everything, including clothing for all ages, housewares, and miscellaneous “do I really need this?” detritus. The mega-shop currently has over 450 locations across Europe and the U.S., and according to J.D. Duggan at Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, Minnesota will get its first one at the Mall of America sometime in the near future.
"As an example, we have our ladies denim at $10, [which is] our initial price on ladies denim,” Kevin Tulip, Primark’s U.S. president, told the Memphis Business Journal in July. “We've got T-shirts. They're $5. And this isn't a promotional price."
That price comes with a, well, price, however. While Primark has committed to lowering its carbon footprint by half by 2030, a 2023 report dinged the company for selling products from labor-exploiting manufacturers and promoting general overconsumption.
Wanna Buy a Super Neat, Historic CCC Cabin Off Hwy. 1?
Yes, dear god, yes: We do. Priced at just $130,000, the one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 616-square-foot cabin at 9519 CCC Trail in Isabella was once a generator shack built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935.
"Discover a unique opportunity to own a piece of history with this charming log cabin, located just outside of Isabella, Minnesota, nestled within the breathtaking landscapes of the Superior National Forest," reads the property listing from Lisa Michalski at Edina Realty. "Set on a generous 1.39 acres, this property is the perfect sanctuary for those seeking a peaceful retreat or an adventurous base camp."
Last year the cabin received a fresh coat of exterior paint and a new roof, and that freshly remodeled bathroom is actually quite lovely (see way more pics in the listing). There's 200-amp electric in place, powering the 1,500-watt electric heater, and Michalski notes the original chimney could one day support a wood-burning stove. The setting, midway between Ely and Lake Superior just off picturesque Hwy. 1, really can't be beat. If a wealthy Racket reader wants to gift us $130,000, we will make it our North Woods corporate retreat and name it in your honor.
