Makes you wonder how other businesses on the northside are doing? Last update: August 9, 2004 at 10:04 PM The stove is cold at Lucille's Kitchen Terry Collins Star Tribune Published August 10, 2004
For nearly a decade, it was an epicenter of soul food and social commentary in north Minneapolis, catering to the likes of the Rev. Jesse Jackson as well as common folks. It was the site of a weekly radio show where politicians often came to court the black vote. After years of fighting financial instability and its owners battling health problems, Lucille's Kitchen is closed -- this time for good. "It's been fun. It's been sad," co-owner Lucille Williams said Monday afternoon standing outside the restaurant. "I'm done. I'm finished." Bottles of hot sauce and inverted chairs remained on the tables as a small crew cleaned up inside. Pots and pans were banging, but the fryers were shut down. No more deep-fried catfish or chicken-wing dinners will come from this eatery where the walls are covered in African-themed art. "This is a devastating loss," said state Rep. Keith Ellison, whose law offices are located across the street from Lucille's. "I'm sure Lucille and Henry, being the good people that they are, will land on their feet." The little storefront restaurant, located in a well-populated strip mall on Plymouth Avenue N., became a community pillar shortly after its 1996 debut. It closed without much fanfare Sunday. Declining business, back taxes and mounting debt totaling about $150,000 were all factors. "You heard about having a 'soft opening,' well, we wanted to have a 'soft closing,' so to speak," co-owner Henry Sullivan said Monday. "We tried everything." The restaurant was wracked by a loss of $30,000 in employee thefts, underpayment of taxes and a lack of checks and balances. It almost closed four times. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4919464.html Posted Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- ___________________________________________________________ Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
