Popular Palestinian restaurant among 2025 closings

Two of the most high profile restaurant closings this year saw their locations quickly replaced with new offerings. It doesn’t always happen that way — some abandoned kitchens sit for years before inspiring another project.

Palestinian deli Falastin closed its Lakeside operation in May after a year of rave reviews and out-the-door lines. The longtime home to New London Cafe, at 4721 E. Superior St., quickly turned over, however, and is now Sōl Cafe, a Hong Kong-style breakfast and lunch place that also stages pop-up dinners.

In April, China Cafe closed after more than 20 years in business at 1623 London Road. The space was snapped up by the owners of Phóholic Taste of Vietnam, a popular Central Entrance restaurant looking for a second location. The building received a major makeover and reopened in September.

Neither Falastin or China Cafe cited a lack of business as a reason for closing.

In a website post, Falastin owners Lyla Abukhodair and Sam Miller said they were looking to carve out a sustainable and purposeful future for themselves, their families and their community.

“Over the past year, we have been truly grateful for the opportunity to share our food, celebrate our culture and become an integral part of this welcoming community,” they said. “Your acceptance of our authentic selves and support for our continuous growth has meant everything to us.”

Abukhodair and Miller said they were taking time to reimagine and explore new possibilities for the future. “We remain committed to our mission of sharing Palestinian culture and cuisine albeit in ways yet to be determined,” they wrote.

China Cafe owners were simply retiring.

In a Reddit post, a family member said his parents had been moving toward retirement since 2018. He said his parents, along with an aunt and uncle who helped operate the business, have relocated to California and will not open another restaurant.

“At this point, I think everybody is ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives,” he wrote. “I’ll miss it a lot, it was my second home and helped put me through college. In a lot of ways, the restaurant was our family’s version of the ‘American Dream.'”

Another Duluth restaurant location seeing a change is Madhouse Burgers / Chilly Billy’s in the Mount Royal Center on Woodland Avenue. Co-owners Adam Daoust and Andrew Weisz took over Chilly Billy’s frozen yogurt in 2023, operating shops in Miller Hill Mall and Mount Royal. The Madhouse Burgers concept was added to the Mount Royal location in April but was short-lived.

Daoust and Weisz announced on Facebook earlier this month they would shut down Madhouse Burgers and focus on the Miller Hill Mall Chilly Billy’s.

“One of the biggest reasons for this transition is our desire to focus on our personal well-being and the long-term health of our businesses. Balancing multiple locations and responsibilities has taken a toll, and we realized it was time to simplify our workload,” they said. “Although our time here is ending, we are still moving forward. We are putting care and focus into the Chilly Billy’s experience at the Miller Hill Mall.”

Sabor by Pedro’s will open in the space next year. The restaurant will be operated by the Cloquet-based Pedro’s Grill and Cantina which also has a location in Superior.

Restaurant closures in several other Twin Ports locations have left behind empty buildings with no immediate plans for a new tenant.

JamRock Cultural Restaurant, featuring Jamaican-inspired seafood, closed its doors on West First Street in Downtown Duluth at the end of December 2024. The restaurant started as a street pop-up in 2019 and found a brick-and-mortar place in Superior before announcing plans to open at 319 W. First St. in late 2022.

Owner Tony O’Neil said in a Facebook post JamRock was more than a restaurant.

“For the past five years, we stood tall as a small Black-owned business, pouring our hearts into serving this community and creating something truly special,” he said. “From the very beginning, we made it about more than just food.”

O’Neil said JamRock hosted back-to-school giveaways, provided book bags and supplies for kids, fed the homeless and supported shelters, and stood as a safe haven for those in need. It catered 72 weddings and special events in five years.

“To those who genuinely loved and respected what we built, I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to serve you,” he said.

In Superior, Munoz family members ended a three-year attempt to revive the historic Louis’ Cafe brand in a new location south of town. Tony Munoz and his wife Annessa Milinkovich took over the former KD’s Itasca restaurant on Highway 53 and launched The Original Louis’ Cafe in 2022.

The couple tried to reestablish the historic cafe serving Greek food made famous by Munoz’s grandfather Paul Letsos. The first Louis’ Cafe was founded by Letsos, a Greek immigrant, in 1946 and closed on Tower Avenue in 2004.

Munoz and Milinkovich did not cite a reason for the closing.

“It’s been an incredible journey, and we’re so grateful for every moment we’ve shared with our amazing customers and community,” said Munoz and Milinkovich on Facebook. “The memories we’ve created together will always hold a special place in our hearts.”

The almost 4,000-square-foot restaurant building is now listed for sale with an asking price of $795,000.

Other dining options that closed in 2025 include:

Howard’s Que, the chicken, ribs and pulled pork barbeque operation based in the All American Club shutdown in Lincoln Park. Owner Howard Ross opened the kitchen in 2021. Howard’s Que offered both a dine-in and take-out menu at the location as well as catering services off site. An All American Club bartender said Howard’s Que closed last summer. A Howard’s Que Facebook page and website are no longer active.

The Rambler food truck ended its curbside service after a 13-year Twin Ports run. Owner Jonathan Reznick announced the decision in October on Facebook. Reznick said he will focus his energy on his Midcoast Catering service, which recently opened a small West Duluth event center called the Tasting Room at Midcoast.

The Holiday Center Subway sandwich shop closed in March, leaving the Greenery Cafe & Bakery as the only Skywalk-level food purveyor in the complex. The national Subway franchise has five other Duluth locations, three in Superior and one in Hermantown.

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For details on eating and drinking establishments that opened in 2025, read the companion piece to this story, “New Duluth restaurants served up comfort classics in 2025.”