Annie’s Parlour, a throwback burger-and-malts spot in Dinkytown that nourished many a University of Minnesota student since 1974, closed July 1.
Along with Convention Grill and the Monte Carlo, Annie’s Parlour was a cornerstone in the portfolio of John Rimarcik, the visionary Minneapolis restaurateur, who died in 2023.
“We are grateful for 50 years of business and support from the UofM community and are thankful to the hundreds and hundreds of students who worked to make it possible over the decades,” Tony Rimarcik, John Rimarcik’s son, said in a statement.
The family cited only “a multitude of reasons that it was time to close,” something they had “realized over the last several months.”
Annie’s Parlour (313 14th Av. SE., Mpls.) had taken a four-year hiatus, beginning in 2020 with the pandemic and undergoing necessary renovations before reopening in February 2024 under the leadership of Rimarcik’s sons, Tony and Tom. The restaurant sat above its sister business, the street-level Kitty Kat Klub, which also closed in 2020 and became a U off-campus safety center in 2024.
When Annie’s Parlour returned, its original spirit and its recipes were intact. Thick single patties, cooked to medium-well on a flat-top grill, covered in gooey melted American cheese, on a squishy bun. Mounds of skin-on, hand-cut fries. And malts served in stainless-steel mixing cups, with plenty extra. A 1978 Star Tribune story about Rimarcik called him a “maltophile” for good reason.
Those same malts and burgers are still available at Convention Grill (3912 Sunnyside Road, Edina), and many Annie’s Parlour staff have gone on to jobs there or at other restaurants in the company, including Monte Carlo and Runyon’s.
The Rimarciks own the Annie’s Parlour building and are considering next steps for the address, including opening a new concept or leasing the space to another restaurant.