Schumachers announce plans to close hotel May 31

By Chuck Kajer

Tuesday was a busy day for Chef John and Kathleen Schumacher, proprietors of Schumacher’s Hotel and Restaurant in New Prague.

The Schumachers told their employees last week that they would be closing the internationally-acclaimed Inn on May 31, after 31 years of operation.

On Tuesday, word began to spread about the closing. The day began with an interview on WCCO-Radio, and much of the morning and early afternoon was spent talking with Twin Cities media. At one point, Kathleen was talking with reporters from KSTP-TV in one part of the restaurant while John, with his dogs Howie and Stanley resting at his feet, was sitting in the hotel lobby talking with a reporter from the Star Tribune.

“It’s been a busy day,” said John Schumacher. “But it feels good to have made the decision.”

The ‘right time’

Chef John has long maintained that the time for ending a business should be at the right time and on one’s own terms. We are now at our peak