The Lowry Restaurant Closes After 15 Years on Hennepin Avenue

The Minneapolis restaurant cites a series of compounding factors that made business unsustainable in recent years.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:39pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life featuring a collection of premium, polished tableware and dining accoutrements arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic background, conceptually representing the closure of a beloved neighborhood restaurant.The closure of a longtime Minneapolis restaurant underscores the challenges facing the local dining industry.Minneapolis Today

After 15 years of operation, The Lowry restaurant on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis is closing its doors. The restaurant's management cited a combination of changing consumer behavior, city-specific mandates, economic challenges, and prolonged construction disruptions along the Hennepin Avenue corridor as the reasons behind the closure. The Lowry's last day of business will be April 26, 2026.

Why it matters

The closure of The Lowry, a longtime fixture in the Lowry Hill neighborhood, reflects the broader challenges facing the restaurant industry in Minneapolis, particularly those located along major thoroughfares impacted by extended construction projects. The loss of this popular dining destination is a blow to the local community and raises questions about the long-term viability of small businesses in the face of evolving consumer trends and urban infrastructure changes.

The details

In a statement released on social media, The Lowry's management team said that "a series of compounding incidents have made business unsustainable for the last few years." This includes changing consumer behavior, city-specific mandates, economic factors, and the prolonged, disruptive Hennepin Avenue construction project that wrapped up in October 2025. During the two-year construction period, businesses in the neighborhood reported sales drops of 40-60%.

  • The Lowry opened on Hennepin Avenue 15 years ago.
  • The Hennepin Avenue construction project lasted two years, wrapping up in October 2025.
  • The Lowry's last day of business will be April 26, 2026.

The players

The Lowry

A restaurant that has operated on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis for the past 15 years.

Blue Plate

The management company that operates The Lowry and several other restaurants throughout the Twin Cities.

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What’s next

The roughly 50 employees who work at The Lowry will have opportunities at other locations operated by Blue Plate.

The takeaway

The closure of The Lowry highlights the ongoing challenges facing the restaurant industry in Minneapolis, particularly those impacted by major infrastructure projects and evolving consumer preferences. This loss of a longtime community fixture raises broader questions about the long-term viability of small businesses in urban areas undergoing significant changes.