Last year in May of 2025, Groundswell, a cafe in the Hamline-Midway community, suffered a fire that forced them to close indefinitely, in the hopes they would be able to eventually reopen.

“In my senior year of college, I had an apartment a few blocks from Hamline, and I heard the firetruck sirens as they went by, not knowing what it was for,” ‘25 Hamline alumnus Bailey Winden said via email. “I remember walking by the next day and peering into the window to see the giant hole in the floor, and streaks of black rubble across the floor from things being pulled out of the way by the fire department. Several neighbors were looking in the windows with me, saying how they had no idea and they were coming for their daily coffee there.”

Unfortunately, in an announcement made on Feb. 12 on their Instagram and Facebook accounts, the Groundswell team, after 16 years of business, made the difficult decision to not reopen for financial reasons.

“Friends, we have some hard news that Groundswell will not be reopening after our fire. Financially, we just cannot make it work,” the post read. “We have loved being a part of your special and ordinary moments over the last 16 years. It has been an honor and a joy.”

Groundswell was more than just a cafe for many. For some, it was a place that supported their art and allowed them to learn more about artists in their area. Winden recounted the space as a place he went to frequently and promoted his art in.

“It was one of the first places introduced to me as a freshman learning about my new neighborhood, and they often partnered with the crystal shop attached to Groundswell “We The Starborne”* which is the first shop that I ever sold my art in. I would frequently visit both places, had friends that worked there and lived in the apartments above it,” Winden said via email. “Groundswell was also one of the very first places I had an art booth at for one of their makers market events.”

The cafe was also a popular place for Hamline students to go to due to its proximity to campus and as a place to simply gather and hang out. Winden described Groundswell as a large part of his experience in college, with a Groundswell sticker on his water bottle that he carried around.

“Not only did Groundswell provide artistic opportunities for people through events and consignment, but it was also such a cozy “third space” to just sit and be. There don’t seem to be a lot of those anymore. There would always be someone you recognized there. Hamline Midway seems to be sadly losing a lot of its personality and charm and losing Groundswell made a big impact on that,” Winden said via email.

In their social media announcement, the Groundswell team also said they are looking forward to supporting whoever occupies the space next, and that they will make announcements in the future.

“We’re also looking forward to supporting the next locally-owned small business to bring something new to this corner, and we are anticipating some exciting news on that in late spring. We will post information about it here once we have it so you can join us in giving them a warm Hamline-Midway welcome,” the post read.

That said, the loss of Groundswell is felt by the ones who loved the cafe.

“Places like Groundswell bring together all sorts of our neighbors, and I’m sure losing a place like that was a lot like losing a second home to some people,” Winden said via email.

The Oracle reached out to Groundswell but was unable to get ahold of anyone from the team by the time of publication.

*“We The Starborne” is no longer located next to Groundswell and has instead moved to a different location on Hamline Avenue, now near Midtown CLAY. Please see their website for more details.