Northeast Minneapolis pizzeria Young Joni is to close in September after lease renewal negotiations did not move forward. (Vince Brown)
Young Joni to close in September
Young Joni, a pizzeria in Northeast Minneapolis, is scheduled to close in September after lease renewal negotiations did not move forward. Ann Kim, the restaurateur behind Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza and Young Joni, was sued by the restaurant’s landlord over an alleged $143,169 in back rent. Last year, Kim closed Kim’s, her eponymous Korean American restaurant.
In a statement, Kim said: “Young Joni has been delivering exceptional food and hospitality for nearly a decade and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. It has been a privilege to work with our dedicated teams and serve the greater community with heart, creativity and passion. It’s been a helluva ride and I look forward to serving our beloved guests one last time over the next few months. It’s my hope that the contributions we’ve made will continue to have a positive and lasting impact on the vibrancy and life of the neighborhood. I am grateful to everyone who has walked through our doors making Young Joni (named after my mother, Young, and my husband’s mother, Joni) more than just a restaurant—it’s been a home, a gathering place, and a labor of love.”
Grocery stores hit by cyberattack
A recent cyberattack at United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI) has affected distribution at grocery stores around town, including Cub Foods, Whole Foods and various co-ops. This isn’t just a matter of empty shelves — some Cub pharmacy systems were briefly shut down, although those are back up and running. In a statement, UNFI wrote: “As soon as we discovered the activity, an investigation was initiated with the help of leading forensics experts and we have notified law enforcement. We are assessing the unauthorized activity and working to restore our systems to safely bring them back online. As we work through this issue, our customers, suppliers, and associates are our highest priority. We are working closely with them to minimize disruption as much as possible.”