Palmer’s Bar, a Minneapolis institution that outlasted Prohibition, the Great Depression, two world wars, and a pandemic, has finally met a force it couldn’t survive: the cultural transformation of its neighborhood.
After 119 years in business, the iconic West Bank dive will shut its doors this September.
The building has reportedly been purchased by Dar Al-Hijrah mosque, located next door.
According to the Star Tribune, mosque board member Abdisalam Adam said the space will be used for educational programming, youth services, and interfaith dialogue.
Cedar-Riverside has undergone a dramatic shift
On its website, Palmer’s described its crowd of regulars as a blend of “university students, nurses, cabbies, hippies and hipsters, musicians, anarchists, poets and artists.”
But today, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is widely known for its dense East-African Muslim population where many practicing Muslims abstain from alcohol altogether.
“Due to the current economic environment, people’s changing drinking habits, and the challenges of losing so many other bars and businesses in our neighborhood, Palmer’s has been losing $10,000 – $30,000 a month. The situation was no longer sustainable,” the bar said on Facebook.
Palmer’s will remain open with regular hours and a full lineup of farewell events until its final night on Sept. 14.
“This has been an incredibly difficult but necessary decision,” the bar wrote in a Facebook post thanking loyal patrons, musicians, and staff.
The owners revealed that a failed business partnership in 2022 left the bar in financial distress. Despite cutting costs and adjusting prices, Palmer’s was losing up to $30,000 a month and could no longer stay afloat.
After attempts to sell the business within the bar and venue industry failed, the owners say they accepted the only offer they received—the mosque.
Alpha News reached out to the owners for comment but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
