The longtime downtown St. Paul restaurant Downtowner Woodfire Grill permanently closed May 17 after nearly four decades in business, marking the end of an era for one of the city’s best-known gathering spots near the Xcel Energy Center entertainment district.

Owner Moe Sharif announced the closure this month, citing his retirement after operating the restaurant since 1988. Sharif originally opened the Downtowner when it was still a traditional diner before renovating the space in 2000 following construction of the nearby Xcel Energy Center.

In a public statement, Sharif thanked St. Paul residents, employees and loyal customers for supporting the restaurant over the years, describing the Downtowner as “a true icon” within the city.

Sharif said he plans to remain active in the community and spend more time with family while occasionally helping at Burger Moe’s, operated by his son Eddy Sharif.

Sharif and his family were connected to another highly visible West 7th controversy in recent years involving the historic Justus Ramsey House, located adjacent to Burger Moe’s.

In 2022, preservation advocates and neighborhood residents rallied to save the small stone structure after Sharif applied for a demolition permit following a partial collapse of the building. Engineers hired by the property owner and reviewed by the city described the structure as severely unstable and potentially dangerous, while preservationists questioned how the deterioration occurred so rapidly and pushed for alternatives to demolition.

The house, believed to date to 1853, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the oldest surviving stone structure in either St. Paul or Minneapolis. Preservation advocates also emphasized the building’s significance to St. Paul’s Black history, noting that formerly enslaved residents George and Maria Perkins once lived there, along with several other Black families and business owners during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The controversy drew significant neighborhood attention, including public meetings, preservation campaigns and petitions signed by more than 1,500 residents seeking to halt demolition efforts.

Eventually, the house was dismantled and reconstruction began at the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

The Sharif indicated the Downtowner property will become available for a future operator, encouraging a new generation of restaurateurs to continue the location’s legacy.