Today, August 21, 2026, we have to share that The Gnome will be closing effective today.

The hardest part of this is our team. We know this impacts their lives, their families, and their ability to pay their bills. Our team carried this place through COVID, packed patios, weddings, funerals, celebrations, and some really hard days. They loved our guests. They loved this neighborhood. They made The Gnome what it is.

We want to thank the tens of thousands of guests who chose to spend time with us. We have had engagements, weddings, and even funerals here, and we are so grateful for our time here.

Our journey with this 140 year-old firehouse started 6 years ago, before Purpose Restaurants even existed. Back then, we had 12 team members and one little restaurant called Hope just down the hill.

The Gnome started out during COVID. We turned our parking lot into a drive-in movie theater because restaurants could not be open. We turned the patio into a community grocery store, giving away thousands of pounds of food free of charge. Face to Face has been picking up free meals for people in need every week, free of charge, for over 6 years.

The Gnome started by giving back, and that is how we want to end. If you are a restaurant struggling or a nonprofit in need of food, supplies, or beverages, please message me. We want to donate everything we have to you.

This firehouse has been serving our community for over 140 years, and we have no doubt it will be doing it for 140 more. Our time as stewards of this old firehouse has come to an end, but our belief in Saint Paul has not!

We started out here, our corporate office is here, and we have grown from 12 employees to now hundreds. We have invested over 10 million dollars in this city over the last 6 years, and we will continue to invest our dollars here. Our local Drake Bank is here in Saint Paul. They gave us our first loan to invest here.

This city and our neighbors mean everything to us. It quite literally built our company and our lives. We will continue to feed our community just down the hill at Hope. We will continue our giveback with Face to Face. It will just come from another old firehouse down the hill.

Saint Paul, thank you for believing in us before there was much to believe in. You showed up for us during COVID. You trusted us with your celebrations, your families, and some of the hardest days of your lives. You didn’t just support our restaurant. You helped build our company. We will never forget that.

Please know our closing has nothing to do with the recent burglary. We have never owned this old firehouse. We leased it. This decision comes after discovering significant problems with the building that we simply cannot overcome as tenants.

Saint Paul’s best days are ahead of her. We love this city. We are grateful for this city. We will continue to be a homegrown, family-owned and operated company based right here in Saint Paul.

—Chef Brian Ingram, Owner