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The Farmer’s Cellar’s First-Year Revenue Near $5 Million

8/20/2026

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Summary

Tony Donatell's Speakeasy Success

Tony Donatell opened The Farmer's Cellar, a restaurant-speakeasy, in May 2025 in Lakeville, Minnesota.
The venue earned almost $5 million in its first year, according to CNBC Make It.
From May 2025 through April 2026 the business earned $1.7 million, the store $1.4 million, and the gas station $1.9 million.
Patrons line up on Friday and Saturday nights.
The speakeasy has been profitable since opening.

Summary

Donatell warns costs

Restaurant expenses nationwide jumped 36% from 2019 to 2026.
Donatell says labor is the biggest hospitality expense, forcing menu price hikes.
Menu prices rose 3.4% between July 2025 and July 2026.
YouGov’s October 2025 survey found 37% of U.S. diners are eating out less because of cost.
The convenience store next door, which had been losing at least $10,000 monthly, became profitable after the speakeasy opened.

History

Historical Context

Repatriation of the Eighteenth Amendment by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5 1933 ended national Prohibition that began on January 17 1920, a period that saw gangsters such as Al Capone amass millions from bootlegging. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 platform and the March 1933 Cullen-Harrison Act paved the way for legal low-proof beer, spawning a hospitality surge that today’s speakeasy-style venues echo.

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Tony Donatell's Speakeasy Success

Tony Donatell opened The Farmer's Cellar, a restaurant-speakeasy, in May 2025 in Lakeville, Minnesota.
The venue earned almost $5 million in its first year, according to CNBC Make It.
From May 2025 through April 2026 the business earned $1.7 million, the store $1.4 million, and the gas station $1.9 million.
Patrons line up on Friday and Saturday nights.
The speakeasy has been profitable since opening.

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