Saint Dinette may join list of recent St. Paul restaurant closures
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The owner of a Lowertown St. Paul staple said he may very likely be closing his doors. For close to a decade, Saint Dinette has been in the area.
"The idea that we've given final notice, that hasn't happened," said Tim Niver, owner of Saint Dinette.
While Niver said it's not a done deal quite yet, his Lowertown restaurant may very well be calling it quits come March of 2025 when their lease is up.
Niver said the foot traffic in Lowertown just hasn't been there since COVID, with work from home playing a big factor.
"What we haven't seen is the financial turnaround for say Lowertown itself for the restaurants since COVID. It just hasn't really bounced back," said Niver.
The other factor, he said, is inflation.
"You have food that's gone up, you have beverage that's gone up and labor that's gone up, and those account for 60 to 70% of all of your costs," said Niver.
Saint Dinette wouldn't be the first St. Paul restaurant to close of late. Foxy Falafel, Gray Duck Tavern, Salut and Tavern on Grand have all shut their doors in the last year.
St. Paul's Tori Ramen is looking to raise more than $120,000 to stay in business. The owner wrote in an online fundraiser that COVID took the rug out.
Other prospective owners are hitting pause on restaurant plans, Niver said.
"What I've heard mostly is that a lot of folks aren't really interested or there's a lot of trepidation around opening other places," said Niver.
It's not all doom and gloom in Lowertown.
Nearby St. Paul Saints games bring steady foot traffic, said MetroNOME Beertender Holly Green. Those good crowds even extend beyond gameday.
"Usually about two hours before the game starts it is bonkers in here," said Green. "We are actually pretty busy on weekends most nights of the week."
Niver wants people to know they aren't closed yet, with employees who he said could still use your support.