Minneapolis Restaurant Closes After 16 Years, Six Months of Free Service

After nearly 16 years of operation, Post Modern Times, a Minneapolis restaurant that experimented with a pay-what-you-wish model and offered free meals for six months, is closing its doors.

Owner Dylan Alverson announced the closure on social media, stating that he had exhausted all options to keep the restaurant financially viable without compromising its core values. The restaurant will cease operations at the end of the year.

Alverson initially removed prices from the menu for six months following the deaths of George Floyd, Renée Good, and Alex Pretti, which occurred in nearby Minneapolis neighborhoods. This initiative was presented as a way to support protests against perceived injustices by local law enforcement. During this period, the restaurant functioned as a 'for-profit business that had zero prices,' relying on public donations.

Alverson told Cocktails & Capitalism that the initiative had been successful in its intention of feeding people for free with public donations. He estimated that approximately 85 percent of the restaurant's clientele were individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, or other challenges that limited their access to dining establishments.

In his Instagram announcement, Alverson expressed that he had been trying to prove the restaurant's model could continue for the past six years. "I’ve exhausted every option without compromising the core fundamentals that make Modern Times what it is," he wrote. He added that the decision to close was incredibly difficult and did not come lightly. Alverson hopes the remaining months can be used to celebrate the nearly 16 years Post Modern Times has prioritized creativity over cost, kindness over profit, and its values as a business.

Reactions on social media varied, with some users questioning the connection between free food and police brutality, while others called the model "performative." However, one user noted that "6 months. 30,000 meals" and encouraged fundraising for the restaurant's continued operation. Alverson stated he has "never regretted feeding someone paid or unpaid" and intends to explain the circumstances leading to the closure in the coming weeks.