Foxfire Coffee Lounge
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History
Date Opened:
1998
Date Closed:
Sept. 2000
Owner:
Address
319 N. First Avenue, Minneapolis
Background
The Foxfire Coffee Lounge was an all ages venue formerly located at 319 First Ave. N. in Minneapolis. Open from 1998 to 2000, the Foxfire hosted gigs from a range of local and national acts.
Owner Elizabeth Larson opened the club in 1998 to specifically cater to the under 21 crowd as a venue, coffee shop and restaurant. Having grown up in Lake Elmo, experiencing the limited choices open to younger audiences, she went on to study business and mapped out her plan for the venue. According to a 2000 City Pages article, she took her idea to several banks before getting the loan to begin operation.
The Foxfire quickly acquired a loyal following among Twin Cities youth. The venue section's 97-person capacity would sell out often on weekends, featuring bands as diverse as Misery to Malachi Constant to L7 to Magnetic Fields.
Despite the club's popularity, the lack of liquor sales eventually took its toll on Larson's business plan. Food and drink sales were low during showtimes and the bulk of the Foxfire's profits came from lunchtime business. Rising downtown rents also played a major role. Several benefit shows were thrown as rumors of the club's imminent demise spread. Despite the best efforts of the owners, audiences and friends of the venue, the Foxfire closed its doors in September, 2000. The final show there featured Plastic Constellations and the Hidden Chord, two groups that built a fanbase through the Foxfire. The Foxfire's legacy, although short-lived, is strong among local punk and hardcore audiences. A brief survey of any Minneapolitan who was a teenager in the late 90s would yield a flood of stories.
Related articles
- The City Pages, Sept. 13, 2000-- Closing Time
- The City Pages, April 19, 2000-- 21st Century Fox
