This month is the last for Red Stag Supperclub, a restaurant that has served hearty, homey fare in Northeast Minneapolis for 15 years.
Opened in 2007 by restaurateur Kim Bartmann, Red Stag was a prominent example of the trendy Twin Cities supper club with a mid-century Wisconsin vibe, adapted most recently by The Apostle Supper Club across from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Red Stag announced the closure last month, writing on Instagram that the “restaurant business has been challenged since the onset of COVID-19, and in turn, the changing of consumer habits.”
“These challenges have affected how all restaurants do business,” the post continued.
The restaurant will serve its final meals on Dec. 31 but is continuing regular service — including weekly events such as Friday fish fries and Sunday chicken dinners — until then. Red Stag is also hosting a holiday craft market on Dec. 11.
Bartmann’s business practices during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic landed her in hot water with Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. Following a state investigation into alleged wage theft, Bartmann’s company was required to repay more than $230,000 to employees last year. In response to continued criticism earlier this year when Bartmann was named a semifinalist for a James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurateur, she blamed the backlash on “double standards” and “misogyny.” Bartmann’s restaurant group, Placemaker Hospitality, did not return a request for comment.
As Red Stag closes, Placemaker Hospitality is making other moves in Minneapolis. After the Italian spot Amore Uptown closed last month, Bartmann bought the space — which is located across Lake Street from another restaurant of hers, Barbette — and she plans to reopen an Italian restaurant there in the near future.
Bartmann also operates the Minneapolis restaurants Book Club, Tiny Diner, Gigi’s Cafe and Pat’s Tap, and the concession stand Bread & Pickle at Lake Harriet. She also helped open Kyatchi in Lowertown, which closed earlier this year.
Red Stag Super Club: 509 1st Avenue NE, Minneapolis; 612-767-7766; www.redstagsupperclub.com/