After eight years of serving the Forest Lake community, the owner of Big Apple Cigar & Pipe, based in Forest Lake, Minn., has decided to close the store and bid farewell to the state. In a scathing letter posted publicly, the business expressed both sadness and excitement for the future.
“The MN government is pathetic, incompetent, and abusive to its constituents,” the letter says.
The business, in a letter posted on the store’s website, expressed gratitude for the people of Forest Lake and the friendships made during its years of operation.
“I’ve loved living in Hugo. Having a pig farm and a corn field as neighbors is something I will miss, for sure,” the owner shared, expressing a fondness for the local environment. “I’ve got a few good neighbors that I’ll miss, too.”
Acknowledging the emotional challenge of closing the business, the owner said that leaving Forest Lake would be difficult.
“I will especially miss all of the wonderful law enforcement and military customers I’ve gotten to know. They’ve done a great job of protecting us, and sadly, have taken a beating from the woke mob,” the letter states.
In the letter, the owner announced plans to relocate his family to Florida, citing Minnesota’s high taxes and “dangerous situations.”
Criticisms were also directed towards the Minnesota Department of Transportation, with claims that the state has some of the worst roads in the country.
“I also no longer need to worry about my daughters being told that some boys are not boys and some girls are not girls. I no longer have to worry that they’ll be punished for mis-gendering a confused, mentally ill peer,” the letter says.
“I could go on for an hour about why just about everything is better — lower taxes, personal freedom, bigger fish, better produce, longer boating season, Ron DeSantis, no road salt, more choices on just about everything,” it adds.
Additionally, the owner cited improved safety as a motivating factor for the move. Referencing recent incidents in Minneapolis, the owner highlighted Florida’s reputation for law and order, contrasting it with a lack of consequences for criminal behavior in Minnesota.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
