Purple Onion Cafe in Dinkytown closes its doors after 30 years
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As local businesses continue to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dinkytown eatery Purple Onion Cafe has closed its doors.
The restaurant and cafe announced the closure on Facebook Monday. The establishment has been open since 1993 near the University of Minnesota.
“It is with great sadness that we announce our permanent closure. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the U of M Campus for 30 amazing years. The memories made inside these walls will live on forever,” the Facebook post reads.
Purple Onion Cafe served coffee, pizza, ice cream and other items. The Facebook announcement notes that Purple Onion owner Pat Weinberg can still be found at Carbone’s Pizza in West St. Paul, which Weinberg bought in 2019, according to the Pioneer Press.
Purple Onion Cafe isn’t the only Dinkytown establishment to close its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wonders Ice Cream, located just a block away, also closed its doors in recent months. according to the Minnesota Daily.
The pandemic has proven to be devastating for the restaurant and bar industry, with dozens closing in Minnesota since its onset in March.
You can find a list of restaurants that have closed in Minnesota here.
