Crumbs and Coffee likely served its last-ever meal nearly three months ago, the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained head cook Jorge Vergara Rubio outside the Brooklyn Park restaurant. Owner Charles Spies and his partners decided to close the restaurant following the arrest of the employee, and barring financial help from an investor, they will be unable to reopen.
“We’ve lost about $200,000 that we invested in the business, plus we have $30,000 that we need to pay in bills,” Spies said. “The damage is done, and we’re one of the hundreds of businesses that probably suffered this kind of damage.”
Spies noted his employee’s arrest was not the sole reason for the restaurant’s closure, but rather the final straw after months of financial strain. The Brooklyn Park Police Department saw increased immigration enforcement in the city beginning in February 2025 — which Spies connected to declining foot traffic at Crumbs and Coffee…