Tucked into a small corner in Spirit Valley, Jade Fountain was opened in 1968 by George Wong. By all reports, Wong was a legend with food and an excellent business man. It is said that a dishwasher lost his arm in a meat grinder. That meat grinder is no longer on premise. It was sold in an auction by the previous owners. Jade Fountain used to be the place to be. The blue-collar denizens of Spirit Valley would stand shoulder to shoulder on NYE in the seventies, partaking in the free buffet and the ice cream cocktails. With Wong’s passing, the Jade lost some momentum and eventually shuttered her doors in the mid -aughts. For five years it sat there, its colorful façade crumbling with each passing season. When I first laid eyes on it, I couldn’t understand how it had been so long neglected. So we nurtured it, took the dropped ceilings out, painted things black, and attempted (most would say successfully) to preserve most of what had made it special.
In early 2020, I opened it up as a cocktail bar. It has been at times the bane of my existence and at other times my only salvation. I quietly pushed cocktails for a few years biding my time until I ran into a visionary and talented person that would be able to match my enthusiasm and grit in the kitchen. In comes Norris, another born Minnesotan who spent time and built his career in Portland, OR. Moved back to raise his family in the serene beauty of Duluth.
Now, we are pumping on all cylinders.
Now we are cooking with gas. Have you seen the New Jade Fountain Cocktail Lounge? We are different, but our energy is now closer to Wong’s than ever and we try to pay homage to him, if not emulate him, in every step.
Bask in the glow of the neon.
Meet creative, and friendly people whom I am lucky enough to have seen gravitate towards the Jade, like moths to a flickering light. We seek to carry on the tradition of good product and genuine hospitality, because we know the world needs it.
—Kai Soderberg