The Tribune In Northport To Close Its Doors In ‘Current Form And Location’

The Tribune Ice Cream & Eatery, a popular breakfast and lunch café in downtown Northport, announced Thursday that it will be closing the doors “in its current form and location.” This weekend will mark the restaurant’s final days at its digs at 110 East Negonaba Street, though the Tribune’s announcement on social media stressed that the news “isn’t goodbye” and that customers should “stay tuned for our next steps.” The Tribune will be open 8am to 2pm today (Friday) as well as tomorrow and Sunday for last call. “Come say hi and goodbye for now,” the announcement said.

The Tribune opened its doors on Negonaba Street in 2014, taking a cue from the history of the building – which used to print editions of the Northport Tribune newspaper – in its name. Since then, the restaurant has become popular among locals and visitors alike for breakfast and brunch staples like biscuits and gravy, pancakes, Mexican-style huevos, and fried chicken sandwiches. In the summertime, the restaurant’s ice cream window is a crowded spot in downtown Northport.

Last summer, the Tribune’s building went up for sale for $795,000. When asked at the time whether the listing spelled the end of the Tribune, owner Eric Allchin told the Leelanau Ticker that it was “surprising news” to him to see the building hit the market. Allchin said he had previously owned the space at 110 Negonaba, but had sold to a new owner three years prior and had been leasing ever since. He declined to comment further at the time, telling the Leelanau Ticker “we don’t know what will be happening yet.”

Real estate listings for the building are no longer live, and pages for the property on Zillow and Realtor.com indicate that it sold on December 20, 2023 for $575,000. Kimberly Bork of Venture Properties, the realtor who served as listing agent for the property, confirms that the building has indeed changed hands.

Allchin did not return a request for comment on Thursday.

Tribune fans can keep an eye on the business’s Facebook page going forward for more news about the future of the restaurant, including a potential new location.