Radical Anti-ICE Stand Ends in Permanent Closure

Modern Times Café in Minneapolis, which launched a defiant protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement by eliminating prices and offering donation-based meals, will shut down permanently by the end of 2026. The establishment, rebranded as Post Modern Times earlier this year, implemented the free-meal model in January with an explicit policy welcoming everyone except ICE agents. Owner Dylan Alverson stated he exhausted all operational options while attempting to keep the business alive without compromising its political principles.

The radical pricing experiment triggered severe logistical hurdles. Operating with a zero profit margin, the restaurant forced staff to endure punishing pressure, with customers facing wait times stretching up to two hours for meals—half of which were handed out for free. Local concerns also mounted over the free food drawing homeless individuals and those struggling with addiction, piling neighborhood pressure onto an already fragile business model.

For the last six years, I’ve been trying to prove that Modern Times can continue to exist. The only way for places like Modern Times to exist in the future is to actively challenge the reasons why it can no longer exist.

Alverson initially stopped charging customers in January to protest government policies he blamed for harming citizens, a decision catalysed by heightened opposition to federal immigration enforcement operations following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. After closing temporarily in July, the restaurant resumed charging upon reopening in August while stubbornly maintaining a policy of 25 free daily meals. Now, Alverson plans to spend the final two months celebrating the 16-year history of the business while examining ways to sustain similar ventures moving forward.