(Photo credit: Steve Rice)
The Grand Cafe is about to see major change.
Owners Dan and Mary Hunter announced this weekend that they would shutter the doors on Sunday, Feb. 5, after the restaurant's decade-long run in Minneapolis' Kingfield neighborhood.
The Hunters might be moving on, but there are already new plans for the eatery. Mary Hunter said new ownership -- she wouldn't reveal who -- will take over the space immediately, remodel it and reopen on March 1. The name will remain Grand Cafe, Hunter said, although she and her husband will no longer be involved.
"I think 10 years is a good run," Hunter said. "We are just ready for a new chapter. As the proprietors, you just invest your heart and soul, you wear so many different hats. It's hard work. It's 24/7.
"It's a nice compliment that it's staying the Grand Cafe, that the legacy can continue and it can still remain part of the community."
The eatery, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, recently welcomed Jamie Malone -- who is also in the midst of opening her own eatery, Brut, with fellow chef Erik Anderson -- in a temporary role. She joined the staff in late November and promptly remade the menu, focusing on "old-fashioned" French-inspired fare. The Grand Cafe has been operating on limited hours with Malone on board.
The announcement felt abrupt given Malone's recent involvement, but Hunter said she and Dan had been pondering making an exit for a few months.
The hours of operation this week are Wednesday, from 5-10 p.m. (featuring the "Ecco Chamber" jazz group), Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. for dinner, and Saturday and Sunday brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As for the Hunters? They haven't planned their next move.
"We just want to decompress a little," Mary said. "In the restaurant business, things can turn quickly and we're happy to be able to go out on a high note."
