Pearson's at 50th and France Set to Close

closed its doors for good Sunday night, following nearly 38 years in its 50th and France location.

Reached by phone Monday afternoon, the Pearson family confirmed they would no longer be serving the lutefisk, potato lefse and Swedish meatballs that made them famous among locals. A third-generation member of the Pearson family said the restaurant will not be closed down for long, as the 50th Street Cafe will open for business in the same location on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

"They're just going to be serving breakfast and lunch," the family member said. "I do know they're going to also serve a few of the favorite dishes from the old menu."

He said he plans to continue working at the restaurant under the new ownership.

Pearson's Edina Restaurant was constructed at its current location in 1973, initially as a coffee shop and expanding two years later to include the building's Oak Room. The building was again expanded in 1981, when the Oak Room West was constructed.

The Pearson family has been active in the Twin Cities restaurant business for nearly 73 years, having opened the Town Talk Cafe at 38th Street and 23rd Avenue South in 1938. They went on to open the Town Talk Diner at 27th Street and East Lake Street in 1946 and founded the Town Talk and Pearson's Drive-In at Hiawatha and Minnehaha Parkway in 1955.