Modern Times Cafe owner announces closure after ICE protest model

Modern Times Cafe in Minneapolis will permanently close by the end of the year, according to an announcement by owner Dylan Alverson. The decision ends a period of operational experimentation in which the establishment eliminated prices and offered free meals in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state.

Alverson wrote on social media on Saturday that he has exhausted every option to sustain the business without compromising its core fundamentals. "For the last six years, I've been trying to prove that Modern Times can continue to exist," he stated. He plans to spend the next two months celebrating the 16-year-old business and discussing how similar enterprises might continue operating in the future.

The closure follows a specific model Alverson adopted in January, when he rebranded the business as Post Modern Times and declared it a "free and donation-based restaurant." He stated that everyone would be welcome except ICE, a stance taken partly in response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Alverson expressed frustration with generating revenue for local enforcement agents and a government he felt was failing to protect citizens, stating that the business was done making money for what he described as "fascists that occupy our city."

The price-free operation lasted for about six months before the cafe briefly closed in July. Upon reopening in August, the establishment returned to using prices but continued serving 25 free meals per day. By October, Alverson told The New York Times that he was operating under a "zero profit margin," hoping to establish his venue as a model for other restaurants. He suggested that if he could create a fundraising mechanism to provide hospitality, the program could be expanded to include other restaurants.

However, Alverson acknowledged that the model placed a heavy strain on his staff and led to long wait times, with customers waiting up to two hours for a meal. Half of the meals were typically given for free. Neighbors also expressed concerns that homeless individuals and people with drug addictions might take advantage of the offer.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, Alverson stood by his remarks to The New York Times and shifted focus to the broader industry. He argued that the more significant issue is the number of independent restaurants nearing collapse. "I think a bigger question right now is how many independent restaurants are close to collapse?" Alverson said.