The sizzle of molten cheese and the smell of grilled beef will soon return to familiar haunts in south Minneapolis: Matt’s Bar, the small tavern that staked a claim in Minnesota culinary lore as one of the claimed creators of the Jucy Lucy, announced Wednesday that it will reopen in late November under new ownership and management, CBS News reported.

The reopening, confirmed by the new owner, restaurateur Elena Ortiz, caps a fraught chapter for the 70-year-old establishment, closed for more than two years after a dispute with its prior operators and a downturn that mirrored broader pressures on legacy restaurants. “This place belongs to the people of Minneapolis. We want to honor the recipe, the crew and the regulars who made Matt’s what it is,” Ortiz told CBS News in an interview, adding that the team has invested roughly $2 million in renovations, staff training and equipment upgrades.

Matt’s Bar has long been more than a greasy-spoon destination; it has been a cultural touchstone. The debate over the true creator of the Jucy Lucy — a cheeseburger whose molten core upended expectations of American comfort food — has fueled friendly rivalry with another Minneapolis staple, the 5-8 Club, and turned both venues into pilgrimage sites for food tourists. “I brought my kids here. It’s how we celebrate home,” said longtime patron Jerome Haskins, wiping his eyes as he recalled the closing. “When I heard it was coming back, I cried.”

Beyond sentimentality, the relaunch carries measurable local impact. Ortiz said the reopened bar will employ roughly 40 full- and part-time workers and intends to source beef and dairy from Twin Cities-area suppliers, promising a small but meaningful lift to local vendors. City officials have quietly applauded the move; small, well-known restaurants often anchor neighborhood foot traffic that benefits surrounding businesses and supports hospitality jobs that are critical in post-pandemic recovery.

But the return also spotlights industry trends and cultural tensions. Restaurateurs across the country face rising labor and supply costs, while legacy operations contend with the expectations of social-media-driven diners and evolving health codes. Ortiz’s team plans to keep the classic menu intact while introducing a few modern touches — vegetarian options, a streamlined online ordering system and updated accessibility — a balancing act between authenticity and adaptation that many heritage food sites confront.

Preservation advocates hailed the effort but urged vigilance against erasure through gentrification. “Saving iconic places is about more than façades and recipes,” said Aisha Rahman, a local cultural historian. “It’s about protecting the people and the everyday culture that gave these places value.”

As Matt’s Bar prepares its grills and retrains cooks, its story will be watched as a case study in how a small, emblematic business can be revitalized without losing the texture of community. For Minneapolis, where restaurants are both economic engines and repositories of collective memory, the reopening will be a test of whether heritage dining can survive the modern marketplace — and whether a city can reclaim a piece of itself, one Jucy Lucy at a time.