St. Paul, Minnesota – The owner of a Lowertown St. Paul eatery said he will most likely close his doors. Saint Dinette has been in the area for nearly a decade.

“The idea that we had issued a final termination has not happened,” said Tim Niver, owner of Saint Dinette.

Although Niver said the deal is not quite set in stone, his Lowertown restaurant could well close in March 2025, when its lease expires.

Niver said there simply haven’t been as many foot traffic in Lowertown since COVID, with working from home playing a big role.

“What we haven’t seen is the financial turnaround for, say, Lowertown itself, for the restaurants since COVID. It just hasn’t really recovered,” Niver said.

The other factor is inflation, he said.

“Food, beverage and labor prices have gone up, and these account for 60 to 70 percent of your total costs,” Niver said.

Saint Dinette wouldn’t be the first St. Paul restaurant to close recently. Foxy Falafel, Gray Duck Tavern, Salut and Tavern on Grand have all closed their doors in the last year.

Tori Ramen in St. Paul is seeking to raise more than $120,000 to stay in business. The owner wrote in an online fundraiser that COVID has pulled the rug out from under him.

Other potential owners are putting their restaurant plans on hold, Niver said.

“The main thing I’ve heard is that a lot of people aren’t really interested or have major concerns about opening other places,” Niver said.

It’s not all doom and gloom in Lowertown.

Nearby St. Paul Saints games bring a steady stream of visitors, says Holly Green, a beer vendor at MetroNOME, and those good numbers continue even after game day.

“Usually, the madness starts around two hours before the game starts,” Green said. “We’re pretty busy most weekends of the week.”

Niver wants people to know that they are not closed yet and that employees could still use their support.