Minneapolis Korean-American restaurant Kim’s to close after unionization

Chef Ann Kim’s eponymous restaurant in Uptown Minneapolis, From Kimwill close on Friday, August 30, “due to ongoing financial losses,” according to a statement from Kim’s restaurant group, Vestal HospitalityKim declined to comment further on the reason for the closure.

Kim’s opened last fall in the same space that housed the chef’s previous Mexican- and Korean-influenced restaurant. Sooki and Mimispecializing in traditional dough dishes, Kim’s has served as a canvas for the chef Delve into Korean-American cuisineReflecting her family’s roots in Korea and her upbringing in Apple Valley, Minnesota, the restaurant opened with a menu of bindaetteok (savory mung bean pancakes), bibimbap, handmade “Spam” sandwiches and bubbly egg soufflé, among other dishes.

On May 28, Kim’s staff announced his intention to unionize. Organize with the local hospitality union Let’s join here Local 17They focused, primarily, on getting to the bargaining table, where they planned to eventually outline goals for better benefits, pay and stability. A primary goal was to achieve more consistent programming. “It’s about having a protected voice, so we can ask for the things we need to live a good, full life while also being integral players in the restaurant,” head bartender Iain Knopp-Schwyn said at the time. “We want the restaurant to succeed; we just want it to succeed with all of us.”

Vestalia did not voluntarily recognize the union. Kim made her first public statement about the unionization push on June 9, writing on Instagram that she “firmly agrees”[s] that everyone deserves the right to have a say,” but that she felt Kim’s team could “come together” without a union. (The post has since been deleted.) Later that month, the food blogger Joe Rosenthal published internal messages from Kim, her partner Conrad Leifur and restaurant managers apparently Trying to persuade staff to vote against unionization.(Rosenthal’s original post is currently removed from Instagram due to an ongoing issue) Photo copyright dispute with the Star Tribune.)

On June 27th, Kim’s workers successfully unionized — 65 percent voted in favor. They were informed of the restaurant’s closure on Thursday, August 22. Unite Here Local 17 shared a message from the workers On Instagram: “We are heartbroken because we care about our neighborhood, our customers, and each other,” it reads. “We are organizing because we know that restaurant workers deserve to go to work every day feeling respected and with their heads held high.”

The workers said in the statement that they plan to defend their rights to severance pay, health care and return to work (i.e., essentially, the right of workers to be rehired if their positions become available again, should the company reopen), as well as “relocation rights.” Unite Here Local 17 did not respond to an interview request.

Business closures are often perceived as a means of destroying unions, although It can be difficult to determine intent and what factors ultimately led to the closure. For example, the National Labor Relations Board has I ordered Starbucks to reopen several stores which were supposedly closed due to union activity.

The local service industry labor movement has gained considerable momentum in recent years: between 2020 and the present, the Twin Cities have seen unionization efforts in several breweries, Distilleries, Cafeteriasand food and beverage companiesincluding local iterations of the Wave of unionization at StarbucksKim’s was the first restaurant in this series, although it was closely followed by Unionizing Colita and Café Cerés workers. The latter Recently won your union choice; Election results are pending For the first one.