Restaurant closures have continued to reshape local dining markets across the country as operators contend with aging buildings, repair costs, crime concerns, and uneven post-pandemic business conditions. In St. Paul, that pressure has now claimed The Gnome Craft Pub, a Cathedral Hill restaurant that had become a recognizable part of Selby Avenue’s dining corridor. The timing drew immediate attention because the permanent closure was announced less than a week after the business was burglarized.
The closure was immediate, and the business says building problems forced the decision
The Gnome Craft Pub, at 498 Selby Ave. in St. Paul, closed permanently on August 21, 2026, after six years in business, according to the restaurant’s public announcement and reporting from Bring Me The News and the Minnesota Star Tribune. The pub operated under Brian and Sarah Ingram’s Purpose Restaurants group and had opened in August 2020 in the former Happy Gnome space. Star Tribune reported that the restaurant had already been closed earlier that week for roof repairs before the permanent shutdown was announced…