Minnesota’s Bakers Square footprint may now be down to one full-service restaurant. The Mankato location at 1861 Madison Avenue appears to have closed, based on unavailable online ordering and unanswered phone calls Monday morning. If the closure is confirmed, Coon Rapids would be the state’s only remaining full-service location.
The Mankato Man Facebook page first drew attention to the restaurant’s status, with employees reportedly commenting about the abrupt closure. Y105FM reported that online ordering was marked “unavailable at this time” Monday for the restaurant, which typically operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bring Me The News also reported that calls went unanswered and that MTY Group had not responded to its request for comment. No official explanation for the apparent closure had been announced.
The other Minnesota restaurant, at 12951 Riverdale Drive NW in Coon Rapids, was reported open Monday by Y105FM. Its Bakers Square location page lists the address and says whole pies and slices are available for purchase.
A Long Slide From Statewide Staple
The possible Mankato exit follows several Minnesota closures. Apple Valley’s location closed in 2019, and the West St. Paul restaurant ended operations in 2020. In January 2023, the Highland Park Bakers Square in St. Paul, at 2239 Ford Parkway, closed. Bring Me The News reported that Coon Rapids and Mankato were then the state’s two remaining full-service restaurants.
Bakers Square began in 1969 as Mrs. C's, a single restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa. Pillsbury later bought the business and renamed it Poppin' Fresh Pies; Vicorp acquired the chain in 1983 and renamed it Bakers Square. Y105FM reported that the chain once had more than 140 restaurants and that its footprint fell to 14 after bankruptcy proceedings in 2008 and 2020.
A separate bankruptcy-era closure
The chain has also experienced bankruptcy-related closures in other markets. NBC Chicago reported that five Chicago-area Bakers Square restaurants closed Friday, Jan. 24, after parent company American Blue Ribbon Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That was a separate historical episode and does not establish the reason for Mankato’s apparent closure.
Ownership Changes and a Shrinking Footprint
BBQ Holdings bought the Bakers Square brand in 2021. MTY Food Group acquired BBQ Holdings in 2022 in a deal valued at about $200 million, bringing Bakers Square and Famous Dave’s into MTY’s portfolio, according to Restaurant Business.
The reported national location count has varied by source and reporting period. Restaurant Business cited Technomic figures showing 143 Bakers Square locations two decades earlier and seven at the time of its report; it also reported a 28% sales decline over the preceding three years. MTY has said it may sell some weaker-performing chains to “optimize its portfolio of brands,” but that statement does not establish a plan involving Bakers Square.
Pie Lovers Still Have Options
The loss of a full-service restaurant would not necessarily mean the end of Bakers Square pies in Minnesota. Bring Me The News has reported that pies are sold at more than a dozen Famous Dave’s locations in the state. Availability and selection can vary by restaurant.
If Mankato has closed, Coon Rapids would be Minnesota’s last full-service Bakers Square. MTY Group has not publicly explained the Mankato restaurant’s apparent closure, so its status and the reason for the change remain unconfirmed.
