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Vellee Deli announces closures: Landlord, construction issues cited

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Published  September 9, 2024 5:01pm CDT
Restaurants
FOX 9
article

Beginning in 2024, Hennepin Avenue in northeast Minneapolis has been reduced to a single lane between Main Street Northeast and 8th Street Southeast, while First Avenue Northeast is reduced to a single lane between 7th Street Southeast and Main Stree

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The Brief

    • Vellee Deli opened in 2011 as a food truck operated by William Xiong and chef Joyce Truong.
    • It has since grown to three locations, including one in Brooklyn Park, downtown and northeast Minneapolis.
    • Problems with its landlord and construction surrounding its northeast Minneapolis location has resulted in the temporary closure of all of its stores.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Vellee Deli has announced via its social media platforms that on Sept. 8 all of its locations will be closed "until further notice."

What we know

Vellee Deli, which describes itself as an Asian-fusion mixing both Mexican and Vietnamese cuisines, has said on social media that all of its three current locations will be closed temporarily.

On Sunday, Vellee Deli announced the "difficult decision" that it had been forced to temporarily close its northeast Minneapolis location until it worked out a solution with its new landlord – who had served them an eviction notice the week earlier "despite efforts to work things out."

The explanation for its closure said in part, "Unless you live nearby, you may not know that ever since we opened, our streets have been plagued by two years of relentless construction, which has eliminated street parking and caused major disruptions to our retail parking lot, making it incredibly hard for many of you to reach us."

Founded by William Xiong and chef Joyce Truong, Vellee began as a food truck in 2011, before opening its first brick-and-mortar store in the Baker Center in downtown Minneapolis in 2015.

In the summer of 2022, they expanded into the northeast– opening a full bar in the newly constructed retail space of the NordHaus Apartments.

In early 2024, a Brooklyn Park pop-up was announced that was scheduled to run through October.

However, according to the latest update, all locations will be closed, at least temporarily, as they decide their next move for the remaining locations.

What we don’t know

While the owners say an eviction notice was served at its northeast location, which prompted the "step back" and temporary closures at its other stores – the ultimate fate of the other locations does not seem to be determined yet.

How to help

A GoFundMe has been created to "keep the spirit of Vellee alive," according to its organizers. The goal is currently set at $150,000.

"We remain hopeful that brighter days are ahead," the GoFundMe says.