Funeral arrangements and visitation set for Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant founder

She didn’t invent the meat-and-three. But the majority of Columbus foodies probably would tell you she perfected it.

Minnie Hanneman, the founder of Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant, has died. She was 89.

Her granddaughter Melinda Weeks Newton, the restaurant’s owner, announced Hanneman’s death Thursday night on her Facebook page.

“Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant will be closed tomorrow as the family needs time of bereavement,” Newton wrote. “Our beloved Minnie has left this world and gained her Heavenly wings. She was a trail blazer and has left Columbus with an amazing legacy for us to continue.”

The visitation will be June 9, from 6-8 p.m., in Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Road. The funeral will be June 10, starting at 11 a.m., in St. Anne Catholic Church, 2000 Kay Circle.

“We thank you for your understanding at our time of loss,” Newton wrote. “She was one amazing Lady!! These last few months with her have been the absolute best!!” her post continued. “Man I’m going to cherish these memories and miss her a lot!!!”

Hanneman was receiving care from Columbus Hospice, a staff member confirmed Friday to the Ledger-Enquirer. The cause of death wasn’t available before publication.

Minnie’s announced on its Facebook page April 3 that Hanneman moved into an assisted living facility. That’s also when the restaurant announced the creation of another Facebook page, “Minnie’s recipes and memories,” to share some of Hanneman’s secrets for making such fantastic food.

Minnie Hanneman pioneering businesswoman

Uptown Columbus president and CEO Ed Wolverton, whose organization promotes the city’s downtown area, called Minnie’s a “very iconic place for many, many years.”

“It’s instrumental for bringing people together,” he said.

When she opened Minnie’s in 1987 at 104 Eight St., Hanneman took a big risk, staking her claim during a time when many businesses had abandoned the area.

“She served as a bridge to Uptown from the Historic District, which was fairly rundown,” Wolverton said. “She bridged the commercial and the residential.”

Hanneman’s venture helped revitalize the city’s urban core.

“To go in as a business owner in an unproven and untested area creates somewhat of a pioneering experience,” Wolverton said. “That deserves a lot of credit for her vision and hard work to make it happen and make it successful and have the longevity it has had as well.”

Wolverton also appreciates Hanneman for creating a business that is unique to Columbus.

“Authenticity comes, in the commercial sense like this, really from the owner and the staff,” he said. “It’s locally owned, locally operated. … It establishes a personality and a presence. It’s having a hands-on owner who’s there every day, as opposed to a corporate store that’s very formulaic.”

Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant gets rave reviews

Restaurant review website Yelp rates Minnie’s as No. 1 among “Best meat and three near me in Columbus, Georgia.”

Those rave reviews from customers come from far and wide.

For example, “Jimmie S.” from Brooklyn, New York, visited Columbus in 2009 to visit some friends. They boasted about Minnie’s having the best fried chicken they ever tasted, so JImmie joined them for lunch.

“What immediately jumped out at me when we got there was the sense of hospitality that exuded from everyone working there,” Jimmie wrote on Yelp. “Every woman behind the counter that asked us for our order referred to us as ‘honey’, ‘sugar’, ‘sweetheart’ or ‘dear’ with a big smile.”

And that fried chicken?

“Minnie’s did in fact have the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life,” Jimmie declared.

The restaurant hasn’t rested on its decades of laurels. Two weeks ago, “Jessica N.” of Leesburg, Georgia, gushed about Minnie’s when she wrote on Yelp, “Spontaneously, we drove an hour and a half away to spend the afternoon in Columbus. We stumbled on this true gem for lunch! YUM!! Great service. Even better food!”

The Minnie’s magic expanded in 2019, when a spinoff of Hanneman’s business, The Chicken Lady’s Coop, opened in north Columbus at 6597 Whittlesey Blvd.

In his 2021 review, L-E reporter Nick Wooten described the Coop’s menu item named “The Holy Grail” as “my vote for the best chicken sandwich in Columbus.”