A well-known charity linked to a popular chain of restaurants in the Twin Cities is shutting down over a series of violations.

The move comes one year after 5 INVESTIGATES first reported on the state attorney general’s inquiry into Hope Breakfast Bar’s nonprofit, Give Hope.

Founders Brian and Sarah Ingram, who have graced local and national television with their successful restaurant group, signed the court documents this week, assuring the state that their nonprofit will shut down within months.

“With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that trying to build a business and a nonprofit at the same time required more resources than we anticipated and that even the best of intentions couldn’t compensate for that shortfall,” the Ingrams said in a statement Friday to 5 INVESTIGATES. 

According to the court filing, State Attorney General Keith Ellison found Give Hope failed to file tax returns, properly manage and provide oversight, maintain accurate books and records, and failed to follow requirements on conflicted transitions.

Specifically, Ellison’s office said that when handing out meals to the needy, the Ingrams used the nonprofit to pay or reimburse the for-profit side of the business.

In the statement to 5 INVESTIGATES, the Ingrams said they’re still committed to philanthropic work.

“We’ve learned from that experience and believe that we’re better able — and more committed  — than ever to work on the problem of food insecurity in Minnesota,” the statement from the Ingrams said.

The state’s inquiry started early last year after 5 INVESTIGATES first reported on the charity failing to file necessary reports about how it raised and spent money.

The settlement with Give Hope is a civil case, not criminal. Nothing in the settlement changes the for-profit part of the restaurant chain.