Modern Times Café, a Minneapolis restaurant that has been operating without prices for several months, has announced that it will be closing by the end of the year.
In a statement on social media, owner Dylan Alverson wrote that he had "exhausted every option" to keep the business running without compromising its core principles. Alverson had attempted to prove that a restaurant could continue to exist without making a profit, but ultimately decided that it was not sustainable.
The restaurant, which has been in operation for 16 years, had rebranded as Post Modern Times and had been operating as a "free and donation-based restaurant" in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state. Alverson had stated that he was "sick of generating money for the soldiers in our streets and for a government that won't protect us" and had announced that the restaurant would no longer make money for the government.
Modern Times Café had operated without prices for about six months, but briefly closed in July and reopened in August with a new pricing system. However, the restaurant continued to serve 25 free meals per day. Alverson had told The New York Times in October that he was operating under a "zero profit margin" in an effort to create a model for other restaurants.
The decision to close the restaurant comes after several months of operating under a unique business model that was meant to challenge the reasons why it could no longer exist. Alverson has stated that he plans to spend the next two months celebrating the restaurant's history and discussing ways for a business like his to continue in the future.
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