Hell’s Cafeteria quietly served its last lunch in downtown Minneapolis last week.

The quick-service counter launched in March 2022 above Hell’s Kitchen in the street-level space previously occupied by Angel Food Bakery. Hell’s Cafeteria was designed around office workers looking for a quick breakfast or lunch, but the anticipated post-pandemic influx of workers returning to downtown offices never materialized, as many of them opt to continue working from home.

Hell's Kitchen co-founder Cynthia Gerdes told Downtown Voices that it’s “no mystery” that daytime foot traffic generated by office workers isn’t what it used to be and may never be again, so closing Hell’s Cafeteria was a “no-brainer.”

However, there's a silver lining in this news: sales at Hell’s Kitchen were up 38% in 2023 compared to 2022. Because of that, the team realized it made sense to pour their time and effort there rather than the cafeteria.

‍“We felt good about what we did," Gerdes said. “We felt good about the staff. We kept adjusting our hours and moving things around and making sure we had the right menu offerings, but it just didn't make sense to continue that when downstairs is growing.”

Hell's Kitchen still isn't back to the headcount that it had before the pandemic, but it's quickly getting back there, according to Gerdes. All of the employees who worked in the cafeteria will move to the subterranean sister restaurant.

These days, Hell’s Kitchen is busiest on the weekends, when there’s free live music during brunch and dinner; and Gerdes said business is solid on weekdays, especially Wednesday through Friday, or whenever there’s a nearby event like a show or game. She said Hell’s Kitchen is becoming a hot spot for wedding rehearsal dinners, so those also keep the “underground lair nice and busy.”

Now that they’ve thrown in the towel on Hell’s Cafeteria, the employee-owners can focus on the continued Hell’s Kitchen rebound.

“Once we made the decision to close the cafeteria, we just felt such a relief,” Gerdes said. “Now we can all put our brains into downstairs.”

Another downtown institution less than a block away, contemporary Italian restaurant Zelo still hasn’t reopened its adjacent deli, Zelino, a popular grab-and-go option for office workers before the pandemic. Zelo is still only open for lunch Tuesday through Thursday.

Hell’s Kitchen initially opened in 2002 and transitioned to an employee-owned restaurant at the beginning of 2020. It was temporarily closed for a year and a half after the pandemic shut down restaurants across the state.

A small gift shop adjacent to Hell’s Cafeteria closed along with it on Feb. 23, so Hell’s Kitchen will try to find an area downstairs for Hell’s Kitchen merch, peanut butter, and other items. Plus, the beloved Dante’s double smash burger off the Hell’s Cafeteria menu is still available at Hell’s Kitchen.

Hell’s Kitchen is located at 80 S. Ninth St. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.