Tensions in Minneapolis continued to grow this week following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, prompting many in the restaurant community to take a stand.
Protests across the cities have reportedly been ongoing following the death of a 37-year-old mother of three, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agent last week.
Federal officials claimed the agent acted in self-defense, saying Good was trying to ram him with her car, but videos from multiple angles dispute that account. President Trump, however, in social media posts promised further “reckoning and retribution” for protesters in Minnesota. And the Department of Homeland Security pledged to send “hundreds” more officers to the state, despite a lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota and each of the twin cities to stop the surge.
Across the region, restaurants announced temporary closures this week out of concern for the safety of both guests and workers.
Two locations of Don Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant outside Minneapolis posted on Facebook Sunday that they would be closed until further notice, for example. An unidentified representative in reports said the restaurants closed to “keep our customers and our employees safe.”
Boca Chica in St. Paul posted on Instagram that it would be closed Monday and Tuesday “to allow our staff to mentally rest and stay safe” after the tragic events in the community.
Bravis in Shakopee, Minnesota, closed for two days to “review, strengthen and understand the safety of our operations.”
Mothership Pizza Paradise in Minneapolis closed for lunch service this week, and posted on Instagram that 10% of all sales at dinner are going directly to team members affected by the ICE crackdown. The restaurant also posted a Venmo address for guests who wanted to contribute directly.
The fine-dining concept Owmani owned by celebrated chef Sean Sherman—which is roughly three miles from the spot where Good was killed— also posted that 10% of sales over the weekend would be donated to Good’s family, saying on Instagram that “sending support for her family during this time of grief feels like the right thing to do.
“We hold Renee in our hearts and send love, strength and calm to her family for their horrific unnecessary loss,” the post said.
Others across the industry are conducting food drives and collecting goods for families that are afraid to leave their homes because of the ICE raids.
Minneapolis is the latest city to suffer the spotlight of enhanced ICE enforcement. Through 2025, similar efforts were staged in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis and Portland, Oregon, all Democratic strongholds. And, in fact, detentions have continued in those cities.
But the shooting in Minneapolis has escalated the pushback within the communities.
Even before the shooting in Minneapolis, restaurant operators seemed braced for conflict—perhaps in part because the city also endured mass outrage after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020.
The plant-based eatery J. Selby’s in St. Paul, for example, posted a sign on the front door saying “Everyone is welcome here, except ICE.”
In a post on Instagram, one antagonistic commenter called the sign “legally ineffective.” But the restaurant responded by saying the sign is “to let our customers know where we stand,” (and added that the commenter could take their business elsewhere too.)
Wrecktangle Pizza on Tuesday posted that it was reducing hours in one location to have more staff present for each shift, keeping doors locked so points of entry can be limited to “friends only.”
The pizza concept joined with restaurant Smitten Kitten on a “buy a pizza” fundraiser over the weekend to support affected families, raising more than $83,000 that would be given to existing nonprofits. The owners urged residents to visit any Minnesota restaurant and send them the receipt. For each one, Wrecktangle pledged to donate a meal on their behalf.
Chipotle, meanwhile, responded to a proposed boycott circulating on social media after investor Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management donated $10,000 to an online fundraiser for ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who shot and killed Good.
Ackman confirmed the donation in a statement on X. He noted that he also had intended to donate to a fundraiser set up to support Good’s family, but he said it had closed before he was able to provide support.
Chipotle, however, confirmed that Ackman is not affiliated with the fast-casual chain and is no longer a shareholder.
Though he has invested in the past, he has reportedly exited from Chipotle. Pershing Square, however, lists among its holdings Burger King-parent Restaurant Brands International.
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