Justin Sutherland’s Handsome Hog will close indefinitely, suspending all takeout business after this Saturday December 5. He does hope to re-open some day at the same location. The Southern-style restaurant had relocated from its original Lowertown location to Cathedral Hill this summer, and opened an expansive patio just in time for patio season and loosened pandemic restrictions. Unfortunately, with the entire state shut down again for indoor dining again, the restaurant was set to lose thousands of dollars in business a week. “The math just doesn’t work,” said Sutherland, highlighting independent restaurants dire circumstances.
“With the last closure, we had PPP loans,” he said. Now, for his and for many independent restaurants and bars, those funds have been long since spent, and will need to be re-paid some day. Without some sort of aid either from the current relief bill stalled out in the US Senate or something on a local level, Sutherland predicts many, many more businesses will announce closures.
The good news for the Handsome Hog is that its current building’s landlords, at Selby and Western Avenues have offered to work with Sutherland to allow the restaurant to re-open some day by working with them on rent. Plans are still moving forward for a future for the Handsome Hog, but what that will look like remains unclear.
“If something doesn’t change, all that will be left are the McDonald’s of the world,” said Sutherland.
The St. Paul-based chef rose to national prominence after an appearance on Bravo TV’s top chef and after winning an episode of Food Network’s Iron Chef. Handsome Hog first opened in 2015 in Lowertown and quickly gained a following for its rich and hearty comfort food and extensive bourbon collection.