Beirut Restaurant in West St. Paul to close after 41 years

Beirut Restaurant on West St. Paul's Robert Street will close in September after 41 years in business, but the family-owned institution's authentic Lebanese cuisine will carry on through a new venture in Rosemount.

Second-generation owner John Khoury, and his wife, Madelaine, announced the upcoming changes in a letter Tuesday.

"Thanks to the support of our incredible customers and loyal staff, we survived — actually, thrived! — during those trying years of 2020 and 2021," Khoury wrote. "But alas, our time here in West St. Paul has come to an end. And, just so there's no confusion, it is all under our own terms, and with great joy and optimism, that we are evolving as a business and, more importantly, as a family."

According to the announcement, Beirut Restaurant will close its doors sometime in mid-September as the Khourys launch a new business model in their home community of Rosemount.

"In our new Rosemount location, we will offer fast-casual counter service with a heavy focus on catering, ready-made products, and carry-out/take-home services," Khoury shared, adding they have a long-term goal to open multiple locations in the Twin Cities and even nationally.

Joe and Rita Khoury, John Khoury's parents, opened Beirut Restaurant in 1983.

In his announcement Tuesday, John Khoury reflected on his parents' success after they left "war-torn Lebanon and arrived in the United States with $50."

"My parents found a small building on Robert Street that was up for lease, and they decided a Lebanese restaurant was what West St. Paul needed," he wrote. "Together, they transformed a former electronics store into a quaint spot that served food most people in the area didn’t recognize and were hesitant to try."

He continued: "My parents’ stubbornness, work ethic and refusal to fail — and above all, responsibility for feeding, clothing and raising two small children — kept them going despite all the challenges they faced."

John and Madelaine Khoury took over the restaurant in 2002 and now envision a "new future" for Beirut, "one that allows us to reap the fruits of the hard labor the Khoury family has sowed over the last 40+ years," Khoury wrote.

A more definitive timeline of the transition, including a closing date for the West St. Paul restaurant, is expected to be announced in the coming days or weeks.

A late-summer or early-fall opening is expected for the Rosemount location.

"To the hundreds of employees who have helped build Beirut Restaurant, many of whom have become and will forever remain family, thank you for your support and contributions," the announcement concludes. "Again, our story isn’t ending. We are just writing a new chapter."