After more than three decades on the hill, Grandma’s Restaurant Group is closing its Miller Hill location in Duluth, handing the keys to Minneapolis-based cannabis operator Vireo Growth Inc. The Miller Hill restaurant will serve its final meals on Sunday, May 3, and the company says employees will be offered chances to relocate to Grandma’s Canal Park or Virginia spots.
Ownership broke the news in a Facebook post, and local outlets quickly picked it up. The Miller Hill restaurant, on Maple Grove Road near Miller Hill Mall and in operation since 1992, will go dark as the company pulls back to its core locations. According to Star Tribune, Grandma’s president Brian Daugherty said, “The landscape has changed, and it's time to consolidate our efforts.”
Daugherty told Northern News Now that the late‑night dining and drinking crowd near the mall “didn't return after COVID,” and that rising costs pushed the decision to consolidate. The company says it will offer transfers and other openings at its remaining Duluth and Virginia locations as it winds down Miller Hill operations.
Buyer Already Active In Minnesota’s Cannabis Market
Vireo Growth owns and runs the Green Goods dispensary chain in Minnesota and recorded its first adult-use cannabis sale in the state in September 2025, the company announced. Those Green Goods shops now operate in multiple communities across the state, making Vireo one of the more visible players in Minnesota’s post-legalization rollout, according to Vireo Growth Inc.
What’s Next For The Miller Hill Property
So far, no one is saying exactly what Vireo plans to do with the Miller Hill building, and no development filings have surfaced in public reporting. Star Tribune notes the sale but reports that future use of the property has not been specified.
A Long-Running Local Institution
Grandma’s is marking its 50th anniversary this year and remains a staple of Duluth tourism and nightlife. The original Canal Park restaurant opened in 1976, and the Miller Hill site joined the family in 1992. The Duluth News Tribune has documented the company’s history and its role in helping revive the waterfront district.
For regulars, Grandma’s is nudging customers toward its Canal Park and Virginia locations as the Miller Hill dining room serves its last rounds next weekend. Community watchers will be keeping an eye on local permit filings and future announcements from Vireo to see whether the building becomes a Green Goods dispensary or takes on an entirely different commercial life.
