The founder of the iconic Grandma's Restaurant in Duluth has died.  Michael "Mick" Paulucci, 71, was fighting COVID-19 with underlying health conditions when he died Saturday, the company said. Paulucci, son of Duluth frozen-food giant Jeno Paulucci, founded the first Grandma's Restaurant location in 1976 with Andy Borg. The duo bought the former Sand Bar in order to use its liquor license.

At time, many discouraged them from buying the place because of its warehouse district location, the Lake Superior Magazine reported in 2016. They embraced the industrial setting, incorporating it into the restaurant's theme. Eventually, the restaurant's success "altered both the character of Canal Park and the city," the company wrote in a Facebook post Monday.