Modern Times Café, restaurant that offered free food during ICE surge, is closing

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. 

Modern Times Café closing 

What they're saying:

Modern Times Café owner, Dylan Alverson, posted on the restaurant's Facebook page that after nearly 16 years of operations, they are 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. 

What's next:

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. 

Helping the community during ICE surge

Local perspective:

FOX 9 previously reported on Modern Times Café and how they worked to help the community during Operation Metro Surge in January. 

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. 

"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.

Minneapolis