The White Castle restaurant in Minneapolis' Longfellow neighborhood served its last slider Sunday morning, closing for a renovation that will transform the space into another Tim Hortons.
Although the property sale will not be finalized until next week, owners shut down the burger joint on the corner of E. Lake Street and 36th Avenue S., where the building has stood since 1963. Employees were notified about the sale last Monday and 18 staff members will be transferred to White Castle locations of their choosing, a restaurant manager said.
Tim Hortons, Canada's popular all-day restaurant chain, has been expanding in Minnesota. Locations at the Mall of America and in Dinkytown opened to wide fanfare last month. A new location in Brainerd should debut next week, while others in Brooklyn Park, Savage and International Falls are being built, said Paul Durigon, chief executive of Restaurant Development Partners.
"We offer something that's a little different. We're more than just a coffee and doughnut and muffin shop," Durigon said, emphasizing the lunch menu.
Renovations will gut the inside of E. Lake's White Castle and recast the exterior to prepare for a grand opening in February, he said. Job fairs will be held in mid-January to hire 20 to 25 employees.
Tim Hortons boasts more than 3,600 outlets in Canada and about 800 in the U.S., including in Tower, Minn., and Mahnomen, Minn.
Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648
