Photo by Deb Gau Mike’s Cafe will be closing down this weekend, after being part of Marshall for more than 80 years. Cafe owner Ross Taveirne said this week that Mike’s hasn’t been able to bounce back from the COVID pandemic and factors like rising costs. The restaurant’s last day of operation is Oct. 23.

MARSHALL — For more than 80 years, Mike’s Cafe and Diner has been a regular spot for Marshall residents to gather for a meal or morning coffee. On Sunday, it will be closing for the last time.

Over the weekend, Mike’s owner Ross Taveirne announced the diner and cafe would be shutting down at the end of business on Sunday.

“I want to thank the community of Marshall, all of our customers, all of the employees over the years, and to everyone else who continued to support Mike’s Cafe during my ownership,” Taveirne said in the announcement.

Going forward, his focus will be on Toni’s Depot, the Marshall sandwich shop Taveirne has owned since 2010.

“I hold the legacy of Mike’s Cafe in high regard, and I will take the lessons learned and apply them to the growth and expansion of Toni’s Depot,” Taveirne said.

The history of Mike’s Cafe stretches back to 1936. The restaurant has weathered a lot of changes over the years. It was once located closer to Marshall’s downtown. A fire in the early 2000s led to a move to its current location on East College Drive. Taveirne bought the business in 2013 and completed renovations to the building in 2018.

But the COVID pandemic dealt Mike’s a blow hard to come back from, Taveirne said. Like restaurants across Minnesota, Mike’s was forced to close for part of 2020.

“The relief funding we received helped us re-open and get to this point,” Taveirne said Tuesday.

“However, Mike’s has not been able to bounce back. We haven’t been able to operate under normal hours and the cost of goods has substantially increased. All of that plus years of diminishing sales since the pandemic started, created the recipe for closing.”

The decision to close Mike’s Cafe was not an easy one, Taveirne said.

“I feel like I failed the community of Marshall and that’s not a good feeling. I don’t wish it upon anyone,” he said.

“My focus will now be Toni’s and making sure I can grow and expand the business,” Taveirne said.

Taiveirne said the Mike’s Cafe building was not on the market, but he was open to selling.

Dozens of past and present Marshall area residents posted their reactions to the closing announcement on the Mike’s Cafe Facebook page over the weekend. Some shared memories of eating at Mike’s with family when they were growing up, or as college students at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Mike’s Cafe will be open for the next five days, before closing its doors for the last time. Hours will be from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.