09/29/2023
It’s with gratitude, mixed emotions, and heavy hearts that we’re closing the doors of The Shakopee House permanently. We are honored to have been a small part of such an incredible community. Thank you to everyone who supported our dream by dining with us this past year.
To our incredible team, you are the heart of The Shakopee House, bringing life, joy, and talent to everything you do. Your hard work and passion are nothing short of inspirational. We’re lucky to know and work with you, and we hope for most of you this isn't goodbye, but see you soon.
We love and believe in everything we’ve done. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a path that would sustain the business and ensure its future. Our priority during this transition is supporting our teams with financial provisions in the short term and, beyond that, helping them to secure employment at our other restaurants wherever possible. Many of our other restaurants are short-staffed, and the managers are excited to receive some experienced help.
We will be open for service this Friday and Saturday, with the proceeds going to our staff in support of their transition to other restaurants. We hope that those who have enjoyed Shakopee House and Rum Row Basement Tiki Bar are able to stop by this weekend to help us say farewell and raise a glass to our amazing team. All Shakopee House gift cards will be honored at all of our other restaurants.
We aim to be fully transparent in this challenging decision, but at this time, we don't know what is next for this 100-year-old building. Its sheer enormity, with four bars, four patios, and multiple dining rooms, coupled with not just one but two floods in our first year, proved too great of a challenge to overcome during this economic slowdown.
I can't speak for every restaurant, but these are challenging times for our group of locally-owned restaurants. After surviving COVID and the mandated shutdowns that came with it, we thought we had made it through the darkest days hospitality would ever see. In many ways, this is worse.
At the same time that most people are cutting back on dining out, our industry faces escalating costs, a labor shortage, and rising rents. If you want independent restaurants to survive, support them, say encouraging things, and tip generously for good service because the owners and service industry workers are struggling.
In this moment of failure, I find comfort in some ways in this quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” We missed the target of what this community was looking for, didn't hold ourselves to the standard we set, and made changes too late.
Reflecting on the Teddy Roosevelt quote for a minute. Missing the target isn’t the worst thing you can do. Not taking a shot is. We took a big risk by opening a restaurant in this 100-year-old building. It didn’t work, but at least we had the courage to try.
While this chapter is closing, I want to share some encouraging news. In the coming weeks, we will be moving Rum Row Tiki Bar to the back room of Tequila Butcher in Chanhassen. This move will allow us to keep our fun, tropical tiki bar alive in a beautiful space that won't flood and has a covered patio.
Thank you, Shakopee, for the love, support, and unforgettable moments. We hope to see you in the days ahead as we bid farewell to the place that has meant so much to all of us. Please remember to be kind to our team during this difficult time.
Sincerely, Tony
