Kyatchi, Q Fanatic Call it Quits

Each month, in preparation for the Racket Restaurant Roundup, I keep a running doc going with info on openings, closings, and coming-soon-ings in the Twin Cities. And some months are like this September, where we get halfway through the thing and it's like, wow! No significant closings so far! The restaurant industry really has rebounded!

...and then we have a week like this one, where a bunch of places head to Restaurant Heaven in short succession: Mama's Pizza, Misfit Coffee, and the two in the alliterative headline we have here today.

Kyatchi, the sushi and hot dog spot that opened at 38th and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis in 2014 and expanded to Lowertown three years later, announced late last week that it was closing that St. Paul location, effective immediately.

"It is with great sadness that we have closed our St. Paul location permanently due to underperforming sales," a message on the Kyatchi website reads. "Our Minneapolis location is still going strong and we encourage you to make a reservation at Mpls Kyatchi."

More devastatingly, as Southwest Voices reported yesterday, Q-Fanatic BBQ has closed its Minneapolis location at 60th and Nicollet, citing staffing issues. A sign posted in the window notes that the Minneapolis closure is permanent, though the Champlin location is "open and recovering."

So on the plus side, you can still visit each of these establishments, though 38th and Nicollet isn't terribly convenient for Lowertown residents, nor is Champlin for folks in south Minneapolis. But hey, driving 30 minutes for a Yakisoba Dog seems kind of reasonable when you think about it.