Pimento on the Lake opened in October 2023.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Pimento on the Lake, the restaurant serving up Jamaican fare at the pavilion on Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis has closed after three years.
Pimento on the Lake closed
What we know:
In a social media post on Monday, Pimento on the Lake shared that its agreement with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was terminated.
The restaurant was part of the park board’s $6.5 million renovation of the lakeside pavilion after the previous one burned down in 2019.
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Pavilion on Bde Maka Ska grand opening
Friday the new pavilion on Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis opened to the general public. This new pavilion comes four years after the old pavilion burned down. The pavilion includes the Pimento Market, a brand new concept brought by Pimento Jamaican Kitchen. The market has grab and go items and locally made gifts to be purchased.
The backstory:
The owners of Pimento on the Lake were sued earlier this year for failing to make payments on $1.3 million in business loans and back rent at their restaurants, according to reports. The restaurants included the Bde Maka Ska location as well as Pimento Jamaican Kitchen locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The St. Paul location has since shuttered.
The restaurant said it had paid its rent on time, including an agreed revenue share as a percentage of sales to the park board. They said there was a $150,000 obligation as a separate contractual capital contribution toward the amount the park board spent constructing the pavilion.
"We were working with potential partners to help meet that obligation. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement in time with the Park Board on arrangements to provide those funds and keep the restaurant operating," the owners wrote in a social media post. "We did our best. We are deeply grateful to those who explored ways to help and believed in a path forward for Pimento on the Lake."
What's next:
The owners said they remain committed to addressing their financial obligations, but their focus now is "supporting our employees through this transition and continuing the work of stabilizing Pimento for a sustainable future."
The restaurant’s flagship Nicollet Avenue location remains open.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what the plan is for the now-vacant restaurant space at Bde Maka Ska moving forward.
FOX 9 has reached out to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board but has not heard back.
The Source: Information in this story comes from an Oct. 19, 2026 Facebook post from Pimento on the Lake and previous FOX 9 reporting.