Jakeeno’s Pizza and Pasta in Minneapolis has been dealing with dwindling foot traffic for several years. Co-owner Amy Keegan, who owns and runs the shop with her sister, Patty, said the shop is in it for the long haul, though, and doesn’t plan on moving anywhere.
“As you can imagine, it’s definitely been a struggle over the last few years,” Keegan told WCCO-TV. “I think the perception of what people see when they come into this area is the challenge that we’re definitely facing.”
Jakeeno’s is located just two blocks north of George Floyd Square, the site of where a police officer killed Floyd in May 2020. When the area became a place where massive protests were routinely taking place, bus routes shifted to circumvent the area. That has led to dwindling foot traffic in the district that houses Jakeeno’s and other businesses.
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“Hundreds of people would be coming by every day on that bus route and now they turn the corner and miss us,” co-owner Patty Keegan told the news station. “We’re not getting that stopped traffic.”
Keegan estimated that business is down 50% since May 2020, as reported by BNN. The restaurant has had to cut staff from 25 down to 12 as a result.
And yet, Keegan and her sister, Patty, who co-own the business that was founded by their parents, say they are committed to rebuilding the business and helping revitalize the community surrounding it. On its website, the pizzeria said it is a “second-generation family business, women-owned, and LGBTQ+ friendly… serving a third generation of customers and their families.” The business celebrated its 48th anniversary near the end of 2023.
“We understand that people might have concerns about the area, but we’re committed to making Jakeeno’s a safe and welcoming space for everyone,” said Amy Keegan. “We’ve been a part of this community for nearly 50 years, and we’re not going anywhere.”
The shop has spent time and money trying to help with that perception. In the past year, the owners have refinished the shop’s facade and added a bar, reported WCCO-TV. Jakeeno’s is in the process of obtaining a liquor license to help ramp up that side of the business.
“We had a local woodworker do the bar top,” Amy Keegan told WCCO-TV. “We’re also trying to also find ways for people to stay a little bit longer, so we brought in the TVs as well.”
This is hardly the first time Jakeeno’s has endured adversity. In 2009, Amy was diagnosed with cancer, forcing her to leave the restaurant. The shop was closed for dine-in for about a year during the pandemic due to staffing shortages and concerns about the area.
