Minneapolis and St. Paul have become notorious for their big government overreach and extreme lockdown orders. As the USPS has recently reported, their extreme policies have forced more than 7,800 businesses in the Twin Cities metro to relocate.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) keeps track of change-of-address forms from both people and businesses, which they release to the public. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal looked into the released data and found that over 7,800 changed their address since 2020, with more than 1,400 of those businesses fleeing downtown Minneapolis.

This sudden exodus was not unforeseen. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter were eager to close businesses and mandate masks and vaccines in 2020 and 2021 -- making owning a business in the Twin Cities more difficult than ever. 

The repeat business lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and tax increases were enough to force many popular businesses to more friendly states like Texas or Florida. You can look no further than Wild Greg's Saloon, which recently closed its location in Minneapolis.

Greg Urban, the owner of Wild Greg’s Saloon, noted in an interview with Fox News that his other three locations across Texas and Florida are thriving. These states saw fewer lockdown policies than Minnesota while also touting fewer taxes and regulations – perfect for consumers and growing businesses.

Click here to watch Greg Urban's Fox News interview

If the Twin Cities is looking to solve the problem of business closures and relocations, they must reassess their priorities. Lockdowns, mandates, and general apathy have left a foul taste in the mouths of business owners. Legislators and City Councilors in Minneapolis and St. Paul have a lot of work to do to gain the trust of prospective business owners. Perhaps they can begin by eliminating their tax on plastic bags.