The Wild Onion, a popular bar for college students and local residents, is closing on April 1.
After 20 years of service, owner Jay Salmen announced on Feb. 11 that the Twin Cities-based Red Cow restaurant franchise was buying the Wild Onion to operate it as an Italian-themed restaurant called Red Rabbit.
St. Thomas students who regularly go to the Wild Onion expressed strong feelings about the closing of their local hangout.
“I think it is really unfortunate that they are transitioning into a new company,” senior Calvin Meyer said. “Grand Avenue has a lot of historical presence, and it’s sad to see a well-known name leave such an iconic strip.”
The bar and grill is known for its “Birthday Tuesdays”, a day where customers can come in on their special day with five other friends to receive a free drink, t-shirt, a pound of wings and a group photo. Meyer said that he and other students from surrounding colleges also gather for the variety of the menu and the welcoming environment.
The American fare bar will be offering specials daily until it is set to close.
St. Thomas alumni and newlyweds Kate and Kyle Wardin expressed their love for the place that sparked their relationship.
“It’s super sad because that’s where Kyle and I met,” Kate said. “I was on the dance floor and we had some mutual friends. One of his friends pointed at me and told him that he should dance with me because I was single, so that’s how we met.”
With so many memories made at one location, it will be hard to see it go.
“We went there on our wedding day. After we got married, we took all of our groomsmen and bridesmaids,” Kyle said. “It will be kind of sad to see it go because we won’t be able to take our kids to the place where we met each other.”
Red Rabbit, a chain of the Red Cow restaurant franchise, is set to open by midsummer and will serve pizza, pasta and oysters. This will be Red Rabbit’s second location in the Twin Cities, adding to their Minneapolis North Loop venue.
The location will have 36 beers on tap, 12 more than the Minneapolis location.
The locals hope the new restaurant will consider the elements that made the Wild Onion so special.
“I think it will be a bad thing to have it go because it was not a chain, and it was a Grand Avenue legend,” Kate said. “I hope that they maintain some of the traditions that will attract the students to get together with friends as well as the residents of St. Paul, making it into a welcoming place.”
Ava Diaz can be reached at diaz7981@stthomas.edu
Red Cow/Red Rabbit is not a chain. They are a locally owned, family run business just like Wild Onion was. It would have been a better, more well rounded story if you would have reached out to them for a comment as well.