Popular Lakeside Restaurant Closing
DULUTH, Minn. — New London Café posted the announcement on it’s Facebook page Thursday morning that it was closing. Since then more than 100 people have posted messages.
Erin Golden said “Well, I have to say that everyone in the area is going to be EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED AND SADDENED !!!! – You’re always busy! I don’t understand.”
New London Café’s owner, Jonathon Jenkins, wants people to know it was not a lack of business that led he and his wife to close the restaurant.
”We’ve been doing really well,” said Jenkins. “So it seems odd probably from outsiders looking in and saying what happened, we’re busy, you guys are doing great, what’s going on? And I understand all that. I think behind the scenes, there’s a lot more, it’s challenging, demanding”.
Some customers shared memories about the times they had been to the restaurant. Adeline Jayde Miller wrote, “My husband and I had our first date together in 2019. This will be such a loss for the neighborhood.”
It wasn’t just local people who wanted to comment, the messages came from as far away as Ireland. Michael Kelly wrote, “Lovely place. Sorry to hear this. Visited here on a number of occasions when on vacation from Ireland. Best of Luck.”
Others just wanted to express their feelings. Judy Carver said simply, “That is so sad.”
Jenkins explained some of the reasons that went into the decision. “I was in a little bit of a pinch I got some injury, tore my ACL last April, my second surgery with my knee, I tore it again playing charades, of course, with the family. But yeah, so I’ve been out quite a bit and it’s put a lot of pressure on the staff [at the] restaurant and just, you know, made me realize, I think we’re ready to pass it on to the next. The next thing, the new evolution of the space. ”
The cafe itself was started 20 years ago and Jenkins shared a little of what his personal feelings are as he leaves the business he bought two and a half years ago. “My gosh, my heart and I’ve had so much emotional investment in New London and care about the customers and the employees and just everything about New London,”said Jenkins. “And so of course I’m there I’m trying to see, I want to know that I feel like we are trying to do justice. I want people to know that we’ve really turned this building around, made it very beautiful and good for Lakeside. It’s open for something new, fresh, and we’ve made that space happen, so I’m very proud of and look forward to the future.”
While he wouldn’t give any details about what’s next for the building. Jenkins did say that a local couple will be putting the building to good use in the near future.
