Townies restaurant temporarily closes due to A/C issue

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – With high temperatures sweeping across Minnesota, many may go out to grab a drink or a bite to eat with friends. But one Rochester restaurant is temporarily closing its doors, cause one key part of the establishment is no longer working: the kitchen’s air conditioning unit.

Wednesday marked three days since Townies Philly Kitchen and Bar closed its doors. The kitchen A/C stopped working earlier this week, meaning kitchen staff would be forced to work in temperatures reaching 90-100°F.

“And staff quit because work conditions were unbearable and you can’t expect anybody to be in a kitchen of over 100°F," General Manager Tim Nela said.

Closing the restaurant was a big decision. Besides having food and drinks that are no longer good to serve, there is a financial component.

“We’re probably losing anywhere from like $5,000 to $6,000 a day by being closed,” Nela said.

The problem for the restaurant is the city owns the property on which Townies sits. Rochester acts as the landlord for the restaurant. According to a city spokesperson, Rochester has been “actively working to address issues” with the unit. However, it was discovered the unit would need to be replaced entirely.

“The city immediately began seeking replacement quotes after determining the system needed to be replaced,” the statement said. “Because of the unique configuration of the system, the process has taken additional time.”

The city and restaurant have been communicating about the issue and Nela says he understands the issue facing both parties.

“There’s no war of words,” Nela said. “We’re not upset. We’re not mad. It’s just more of a situation now where we have customers we need to provide for, we’re not able to do that. So, at this point, right now, it’s like, what do we tell our customers?”

One customer is taking the problem into his own hands. Ted Reyez, who Nela describes as Townie’s “Number One Customer”, brought a portable A/C for the restaurant.

“We’re setting that up for setting up a GoFundMe for the people, the employees in the back,” Reyez said.

Nela says he hopes to be up and running again this weekend.

The City of Rochester is aware of a recent social media video posted by the owner of Townies regarding the air conditioning system at the Soldiers Field Golf Course clubhouse. City staff had been actively working to address issues with the aging air conditioning system and coordinating repairs to keep it operational. Early last week, the system experienced a major failure, and it was determined that the system must be replaced rather than repaired.

The City immediately began seeking replacement quotes after determining the system needed to be replaced. Because of the unique configuration of the system, the process has taken additional time. The City is also working to provide temporary cooling for the kitchen and other areas of the clubhouse until a permanent replacement is installed. 

We have been in communication with the Townies owner and remain committed to working collaboratively throughout the process. 

The City values its partnerships with local organizations, businesses and community members. We are committed to providing a positive experience for the community and are working to restore air conditioning service as quickly as possible.

On June 15, KTTC reached back out to see if anyone from the city would be available to speak on camera. The city sent back the following response.

The City has already released a statement addressing this matter. As reflected in that statement, the City has worked diligently over the past several years to support Townies’ success by providing space in a City-owned building at a premier location for community recreation. In light of the potential legal action, the City will have no further comment. The Parks & Recreation Department and City leadership will continue to communicate and work directly with Townies.  

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