Brooklyn Center Applebee’s Permanently Closes
It’s a restaurant known for being your neighborhood bar and grill. For years Applebee’s served that role in Brooklyn Center.
“I’ve eaten at this Applebee’s several times,” said Bryan Bradford, of Brooklyn Park. “It’s a neighborhood bar and grill, like it says. And it’s always had a nice atmosphere.”
Yet anyone visiting the Brooklyn Center Applebee’s Wednesday afternoon was greeted with the sight of boarded up windows, furniture being hauled into a massive U-Haul, and a sign directing customers to locations in New Hope, Maple Grove and Fridley.
“There’s another DoorDash order that we probably can’t get,” said Jackie Thompson of Brooklyn Center. “We got to go into Fridley for that.”
People who frequent the Shingle Creek Crossing area expressed their disappointment.
“It’s kind of unfortunate that several businesses in this area are closing,” said Bradford. “Target’s gone. Target’s been gone for a long time.”
“It’s terrible that businesses are going away because the people who don’t have transportation, you know, they have no place to go now,” said Thompson.
A U-Haul truck was parked outside the Brooklyn Center Applebee’s Wednesday afternoon as people filled it with furniture.
Applebee’s is just the latest high-profile business to vacate Shingle Creek Crossing.
Last August, Discount Tire closed up shop. Walmart plans to do the same on April 21.
“I’m kind of surprised, but I’m not surprised,” said Bradford. “Because of the fact that some people have really gotten out of hand with thieves and stealing, and it’s hurting the bottom line of a lot of these businesses.”
While none of these businesses have specifically mentioned crime as the reason for their departure, people we spoke to believe it played a role.
“You know, crime is everywhere, I get it,” Thompson said.
“I really feel like crime is a factor, I can’t deny that,” Bradford said.
Whatever the case may be, the restaurant that used the “Eatin’ good in the neighborhood” slogan won’t be a factor in this neighborhood going forward.
“There isn’t any place to go in and sit down that isn’t really fast food,” Thompson said.
When contacted about the closure, an Applebee’s spokesperson provided this statement:
Our Applebee’s restaurant at 1400 Shingle Creek Parkway in Brooklyn Center is now closed. All team members have been offered positions at our nearby restaurants. We greatly appreciate our neighbors’ patronage for the past 38 years and loved being part of this neighborhood. We hope to see you soon at our neighboring restaurants in New Hope, Fridley, and Maple Grove.”– Attributable to Katy Sienko, Market President, Apple American Group, an Applebee’s franchisee.
