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Double Dragon Foods drops off Minnesota's active license list

Double Dragon Foods drops off Minnesota's active license list

Money Moves Saint Paul, MN local

St. Paul's largest North End grocer was last listed Sept. 1; three readings since show nothing

Yesterday: Third consecutive reading without Double Dragon

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Double Dragon Foods, the largest grocery in St. Paul's North End, has dropped off Minnesota's active food license list. It was on the list when the state database was read Aug. 28 and absent from three consecutive readings since Sept. 1.

A lapsed license can mean more than closure, and the city publishes no license date, so the store may still be trading. But this business anchors a diverse immigrant neighborhood's food access, and the same store was condemned and shut down in 2018 before reopening within weeks.

Why it matters

If the North End's biggest grocery is truly gone, thousands of residents lose their closest full-service food option.

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Key Indicators

3
Consecutive license readings without Double Dragon
The store was on the active list when read Aug. 28 and Sept. 1, then missing from three straight readings.
18,000 sq ft
Store floor area
Roughly 18,000 square feet, making it the North End's largest grocery.
2018
Last closure-and-reopening episode
The city condemned the building in September 2018; the store reopened after about 10 days.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

June 2016 September 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Third consecutive reading without Double Dragon

    Latest Signal

    Store absent from three straight readings; license lapse may indicate closure or something less final.

  2. Last reading showing the store listed

    Observation

    Double Dragon was on the active list when read this day.

  3. Double Dragon appears on active license list

    Observation

    First reading of the state list; the store was present.

  4. Store cleared to reopen

    Resolution

    After appeal and completion of a city checklist, inspectors confirmed conditions met and the store reopened.

  5. City condemns Double Dragon building

    Regulatory

    Inspection found wastewater leaks, rodent evidence, and electrical hazards; order to vacate issued.

  6. Stasny's Food Market burns down

    Context

    A smaller North End grocery with a popular meat counter burned; its butcher was killed and the store never reopened.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2016

Stasny's Food Market fire (2016)

Stasny's, a smaller North End grocery with a popular meat counter on Western Avenue, burned down. The store's butcher, Stu Gerr, was killed in the incident.

Then

The store never reopened, leaving the North End with one fewer full-service grocery.

Now

The loss deepened the neighborhood's reliance on Double Dragon as its main larger retail option.

Why this matters now

It shows the North End has already lost one grocery permanently. If Double Dragon is gone, residents lose the main replacement for Stasny's.

September 2018

Double Dragon Foods condemnation (2018)

St. Paul's Department of Safety and Inspections condemned the building at 121 Maryland Ave W, citing wastewater leaks, rodent evidence, and electrical hazards, and ordered the store vacated. Inspections found 14 serious concerns.

Then

The store shut for about 10 days. Owners appealed, completed a city checklist of emergency repairs, and were cleared to reopen before the council hearing.

Now

The business survived and continued operating as the North End's largest grocer for another eight years.

Why this matters now

This is the same store, owner, and address now missing from the license list. It shows the owners treat closure as a fightable, reversible event.

Sources

(4)