Original Grumpy’s Will Be Razed for Apartments Later This Year

“We appreciate the hell out of 20 years of support from the area and we would have gladly stuck around for 20 more, but to be blunt, the way tastes are changing downtown we would have maybe made it a couple more years by the skin of our teeth,” Grumpy’s Facebook page reads with characteristic candor. The restaurant and bar is a rare holdout from a time when the neighborhood along South Washington Avenue near 35W was mostly empty buildings and available parking. Now, it’s the neighborhood that houses several restaurants, the Guthrie Theater, the Mill City museum, hotels, and apartments. Its an area that is growing denser by the moment.

This location has hosted live music, open mic comedy, art shows, parties and more while serving bar food favorites and drinks at reasonable prices.

The new construction replacing the bar at 1111 Washington Avenue South will become an eight-story market rate apartment building with 150 units and a ground floor Op-Ox Art Gallery from Grumpy’s owner Tom Hazelmyer.

There will still be two more Grumpy’s locations in Northeast and Roseville.

The final day of business has yet to be determined, but it’s certain that Grumpy’s will exit on its own terms. “It’s been a great run, and to all of you who supported us, we can’t thank you enough. We are humbled. And to the pedal pubs, and those assholes from the suburbs that left the occasional one star pissy review on a max capacity game day crowded bar, you folks can still fuck right off.”

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