It's the end of an era in Uptown as one of the area's landmark restaurants and bars is closing the doors.
Chino Latino, which was one of the first places in the Twin Cities to focus on street food, was part of the Parasole Restaurant Holdings. They also run Manny's Steakhouse, Salut, Pittsburgh Blue, Burger Jones and a handful of other concepts.
The restaurant posted this statement to their Facebook page Monday:
Chino Latino has been a proud community partner in the Uptown area for over 20 years. We have watched this area grow leaps and bounds, and have been so happy to be able to serve Uptown and the Twin Cities for so many years. With that said, it is time to close the doors at Chino Latino. We want to thank all of the great guests, awesome staff members, and close friends who have been a part of this special 20 year run on the corner of Lake and Hennepin. We are so grateful for all of you! Please remember that Chino Latino gift cards are still available for use of our other Parasole locations. Thank you! We appreciate all of your support!
The owners told the Star Tribune they think the concept of Chino Latino, serving food from what they call "hot zones" across equatorial regions, could live again in another area.
Besides the street food menu, Chino was an extremely popular late night bar spot, famous for their tropical drinks that included a signature mojito.
While they're not specifically blaming COVID for the decline of Chino Latino, it has had a massive impact on the restaurant scene in the Twin Cities with many restaurants calling it quits in 2020, including Paraolesole restaurant Burger Jones in Calhoun Village. In 2019, they closed Libertine, also located in Uptown.
Uptown's neighborhood has changed significantly the last couple of years, with several new residential areas popping up, and rent and home prices on the rise. The unrest that accompanied the death of George Floyd has also negatively affected the area.
Last week the Apple Store announced they were closing their Uptown location. Several other restaurants in the area have closed as have a few retail outlets.
