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Modern Times Café, restaurant that offered free food during ICE surge, is closing
Fox9 ^ | 10/19/26 | Madison Hunter

Posted on 10/19/2026 8:41:47 AM PDT by CFW

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Modern Times Café once served free food to the community as federal immigration agents flooded Minneapolis. Now, the restaurant is closing by the end of the year.

"For the last 6 years, I’ve been trying to prove that Modern Times can continue to exist. I’ve exhausted every option without compromising the core fundamentals that make Modern Times what it is. Because of this, we have made the choice to close at the end of the year. This has been an incredibly difficult decision and one that did not come lightly. I announce this decision now, with the hope that we can spend the next two plus months celebrating the nearly 16 years that Modern Times has stood for creativity over cost, kindness over profit, and uncompromising values as a business in this country," Alverson said in part on Facebook.

Alverson said in the post over the next week he will explain what led to the decision to close, and what the next couple of months will look like.

"The only way for places like Modern Times to exist in the future is to actively challenge the reasons why it can no longer exist," Alverson said at the end of the post.

[snip]

The restaurant offered free food until Operation Metro Surge was over, with no prices on menus. Alverson said at the time that it was his way of comforting his community.

(Excerpt) Read more at fox9.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: capitalism; failure; mn; socialism
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Proving once again that, even on a small scale, socialism does not work long term.
1 posted on 10/19/2026 8:41:47 AM PDT by CFW
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To: CFW

From each according to their whim, to each according to how much they can stuff into their pockets.


2 posted on 10/19/2026 8:43:51 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (The right of the Democrats to embezzle elections shall not be infringed. )
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To: CFW

Makes my day. There are laws which are incredibly difficult to break and then only for a short period of time. Here are two:

Gravity
Economics

I wonder how these folks felt when then, in good conscious stepped up to comfort their community..........and then realized their neighbors were happy to get free food without any concern to the longevity of their business.

Mustasucked.


3 posted on 10/19/2026 8:46:19 AM PDT by SteelPSUGOP (UGHT)
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To: SteelPSUGOP

Well, as they say, many conservatives are simply liberals who got mugged by reality.


4 posted on 10/19/2026 8:47:46 AM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: CFW

“The only way for places like Modern Times to exist in the future is to actively challenge the reasons why it can no longer exist,”


Kamela?


5 posted on 10/19/2026 8:48:31 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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To: CFW

“I guess I was gambling on humanity. I was trying to do something good and betting that people are better than what people think right now,” Alverson said at the time.


there is the lesson, even states it, but the disconnect continues.....


6 posted on 10/19/2026 8:49:54 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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To: CFW

“I guess I was gambling on humanity. I was trying to do something good and betting that people are better than what people think right now,” ~ Modern Times Café owner, Dylan Alverson

Time to wake up, Alvy. If the ones on the bottom will still then think of what the ones on the top are doing.


7 posted on 10/19/2026 8:50:46 AM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: CFW

We lose a little on each sale but make up for it in volume.


8 posted on 10/19/2026 8:56:07 AM PDT by posterchild
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To: CFW

Good riddance to bad rubbish.


9 posted on 10/19/2026 8:56:20 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: CFW

Eventually, the bills come due.


10 posted on 10/19/2026 8:56:31 AM PDT by Rlsau1
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To: CFW

I’m surprised that they didn’t keep at it until it turned around. They simply hadn’t found the right way to practice socialism.


11 posted on 10/19/2026 8:58:20 AM PDT by webheart (Notice how I said all of that without any hyphens, and only complete words?)
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To: CFW

So, they’ve deported everyone? Isn’t this a time of great celebration?


12 posted on 10/19/2026 8:58:22 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: CFW

File this under: what did they think was going to happen?


13 posted on 10/19/2026 8:59:54 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: CFW

https://www.moderntimesmpls.com/

Prices have returned to our menu

.....

. I am clear in my fundamental values that I don’t believe in capitalism. Since the pandemic we have explored every option. During the many hardships I continued to put people over profit, quality over margins, and creativity at all costs, making changes while waiting for a balance to come back to the world of business. I have been convinced in the last two years that this is no longer possible. The profit model is broken. This doesn’t mean that all restaurants will close, but restaurants like Modern Times, without investors or a financial cushion, will run out of room to exist. We stand at a point in time where independent businesses will not continue to survive without changes to the fundamental infrastructure that makes up business in America.

.....

In the mere 7 weeks since reopening we’ve accrued close to $70,000 in debt, losing $10,00 a week.

.....
. I am for the first time in my life putting my own well being and my family’s in front of the cafe.
.......

Modern Times ran for over 6 months as a completely free restaurant.

.......

We are trying to build a sustainable way to continue doing this in a failing economy.


14 posted on 10/19/2026 9:00:04 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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To: CFW

TANSTAAFL - the bill comes due. I’m curious as to how many of those enjoying free food left a gratuity.


15 posted on 10/19/2026 9:00:53 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (First, I was a clinger, then deplorable, now I'm garbage. Feel the love? )
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To: CFW

The restaurant offered free food until Operation Metro Surge was over, with no prices on menus.


Maybe all the ICE people ate there.


16 posted on 10/19/2026 9:01:19 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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To: CFW

https://www.owner.com/blog/restaurant-failure-rate

Key takeaways

Only 17% of restaurants fail in their first year of business, not 90%. See the real restaurant failure rate as reported by the US government.

One of the leading causes of failure is poor “menu-market fit.” We’ll share how you can find menu-market fit with your local customers.

Regulars make up to 80% of a restaurant’s profits. Learn to turn first-time diners into profitable regulars with simple automated campaigns.


17 posted on 10/19/2026 9:05:02 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
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To: CFW

LOL!! What a DUMBASS!! And she’ll STILL vote for Dems!!


18 posted on 10/19/2026 9:06:17 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion.....the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of ConvenieJerk)
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To: CFW

Speaking of free food, how’s that grocery store in NYC doing? The one that indian commie fool talked about?


19 posted on 10/19/2026 9:22:55 AM PDT by LouAvul (They're doing it again because you didn't hang them last time.)
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To: CFW
kindness over profit,

Kindness is great ... and can be very good for business.

Profit is essential ... as they have learned.

20 posted on 10/19/2026 9:28:23 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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