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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Breakfast Bar owners agree to dissolve nonprofit in settlement with AG
The owners of Hope Breakfast Bar and The Gnome Craft Pub have reached a settlement with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office that will see them dissolve their nonprofit Give Hope, which had been accused of "multiple governance violations." The office of AG Keith Ellison announced the agreement with Brian and Sarah Ingram on Friday, saying that there had been "confusion between the Ingrams' for-profit and nonprofit enterprises." Give Hope had been set up to donate profits from the Ingrams' restaurant enterprises to charity, but the AG's office claimed the nonprofit had entered "into conflicted transactions with businesses affiliated with the Ingrams." This allegedly included Give Hope "reimbursing Purpose Driven Restaurants – the parent company of the Ingrams' for-profit restaurants – for food, groceries and toiletry items the nonprofit handed out during the COVID pandemic. Ellison's office claimed the nonprofit did this "without following the conflicted transaction requirements under the Minnesota Nonprofit Act." It was alleged that Give Hope failed to follow basic governance standards, with Ellison's office saying its board of directors "met infrequently, failed to maintain adequate books, financial records and policies and procedures and did not have a designated Treasurer." It also failed to maintain its tax-exempt status and registration as a soliciting charity with the AG's office. The assurance of discontinuance agreed with the Ingrams says Give Hope failed to file required tax returns with the IRS, resulting in its tax-exempt status being revoked in 2023. "Minnesota requires nonprofits to follow laws about transparency and governance that help protect charitable assets and promote public trust," said Ellison. "Minnesotans are a generous people, and we expect our charities to obey these rules, keep proper records, and work to help people who need it. Give Hope fell short of these obligations, leaving its assets vulnerable and preventing public and regulator transparency, so I'm ensuring they dissolve." Bring Me The News has contacted Purpose Restaurants for comment, and will update this story should we receive one. The Ingrams own seven Hope Breakfast Bars in the Twin Cities, including recent openings in Minneapolis and Blaine, with an eighth to open in Chanhassen in the near future. They were also the owners of The Apostle Supper Club in St. Paul, which closed down this past month.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Breakfast Bar owners reach settlement to dissolve Give Hope nonprofit
The Brief Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office reached an assurance of discontinuance with the owners of the nonprofit Give Hope. State officials say Brian and Sarah Ingram are dissolving Give Hope after multiple governance violations. Funds from Give Hope were allegedly used to reimburse Purpose Driven Restaurants, an organization that owns Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome Craft Pub, as well as Salt & Flour. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A local nonprofit, Give Hope, is dissolving after an investigation by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office alleged multiple governance violations that caused confusion between nonprofit and for-profit enterprises. State officials say the nonprofit failed to follow legal requirements, such as maintaining tax-exempt status and registration with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, which prevented donors and regulators from getting insight into Give Hope's finances. What they're saying The settlement, also known as an assurance of discontinuance, was filed in Ramsey County after state investigators found evidence of conflicting transactions with businesses affiliated with Brian and Sarah Ingram, who own multiple restaurants under the Purpose Driven Restaurants umbrella. These transactions, according to the attorney general's office, include reimbursements made to Purpose Driven Restaurants for food, groceries, and toiletries provided by Give Hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was reportedly done without following the conflicting transaction requirements under the Minnesota Nonprofit Act, according to the attorney general's office. State officials add that Give Hope's board of directors met infrequently, failed to maintain adequate books and did not have a designated treasurer. What they're saying Attorney General Ellison released a statement saying, "Minnesota requires nonprofits to follow laws about transparency and governance that help protect charitable assets and promote public trust. Minnesotans are a generous people, and we expect our charities to obey these rules, keep proper records, and work to help people who need it. Give Hope fell short of these obligations, leaving its assets vulnerable and preventing public and regulator transparency, so I'm ensuring they dissolve." The news release adds that the attorney general's office, through its charities division, has civil enforcement authority, but that the division does not enforce criminal laws. FOX 9 reached out to Brian Ingram and management at Purpose Driven Restaurants for a response and will update this story if one is received. Dig deeper Purpose Driven Restaurants owns multiple establishments, including Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome Craft Pub, as well as Salt & Flour. Brian Ingram recently blamed the current state of public safety in St. Paul for the decision to close his Apostle Supper Club restaurant at the end of May. READ MORE: Apostle Supper Club closing in St. Paul at the end of the month The Source This story used information shared in a news release from the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and past FOX 9 reporting.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chef Brian Ingram, AG Ellison agree to dissolve nonprofit Give Hope
Chef Brian Ingram has agreed to shut down his nonprofit Give Hope, Attorney General Keith Ellison's office announced Friday. Ingram, who owns Hope Breakfast Bar locations across the metro and the Gnome Craft Pub on Selby Avenue and is soon set to close his downtown restaurant Apostle Supper Club, had used the nonprofit as a vehicle to donate proceeds from his restaurants, as well as food and meals to support other community causes. However, the nonprofit came under Ellison's scrutiny last summer for allegedly failing to properly register as a charitable organization. Additionally, the organization had been operating without federal 501(c)3 tax-exempt status for about a year, which itself is not necessarily illegal but significantly restricted the activity the organization could have lawfully conducted. At the time, Ingram told the Pioneer Press it had been his intention to dissolve the nonprofit and shift it to a private C-corporation, which he framed as being a better structure for the quick-response style of charitable giving he prefers. 'This is our purpose, to give back to our community,' Ingram said in May 2024. 'That's why we're Purpose Restaurants. I'm just hoping people will continue to walk with us in that.' In a motion filed in Ramsey County Court on May 23 to formally dissolve the nonprofit, Ellison further alleged that financial relationships between Give Hope and Ingram's restaurants had not been conducted appropriately, that the organization did not have a treasurer and that it had not maintained adequate or transparent financial records. Notably, Ellison alleges Ingram and his wife Sarah, listed as the nonprofit's president, had used nonprofit funds to reimburse their for-profit restaurants for items the restaurants had ostensibly donated via the nonprofit — a type of 'conflicted transaction' that would have needed to follow strict legal authorizations. Beyond dissolving the nonprofit, Ellison's office does not plan to pursue additional legal action against the Ingrams for these alleged violations, a spokesperson confirmed Friday. However, per the dissolution agreement, the Ingrams could face civil prosecution if they were to violate its terms, which include a prohibition on representing themselves as a charitable organization or using a name similar to 'Give Hope' going forward, including as a corporate entity. The Ingrams and their companies still are permitted to make their own independent donations to other registered charitable organizations. Groundswell cafe in St. Paul temporarily closes after fire Lowertown favorite Dark Horse to reopen, from owners of Can Can Wonderland and St. Paul Brewing West Seventh restaurant windows broken; man accused of swinging stick at one owner Dining Diary: Three established patios and one fabulous newbie St. Anthony Park cafe Hey Bear to shutter abruptly over rent dispute with landlord
