It's still tough as hell out there for local restaurants, quadruply so for immigrant-owned restaurants. Get out there and support one you love today.
Now Open
Soul Bowl
Soul Bowl, which previously operated and then closed locations at Graze food hall, V3 Center, and in Richfield, has returned. The reborn Soul Bowl is situated inside the C.R.E.A.M. Cafe space in Minneapolis, which is also owned by Gerard and Brittney Klass. 428 S. Second St., Minneapolis
Famous Dave’s x Papa Murphy’s
I’m at the commmmbination… Famous Dave’s and Papa Murphy’s? The BBQ chain slash take-’n’-bake pizzeria have opened their first joint location in St. Paul. It's the sort of combo that feels a little cursed and also somehow right. 1930 Seventh St. W., St. Paul
Dream Chicken
There’s a new fried chicken spot at Graze Food Hall: Dream Chicken, from the Travail team, is now slingin’ chicken sandwiches, tendies, nuggets, and more. Crucially, they also offer 10+ house-made sauces and dips. Can’t have tendies and nuggets without dips. 520 N. Fourth St., Minneapolis
Tact Coffee
A Racket reader pointed this out last month: Tact Coffee is now open in the old Roundtable Coffee Works space in St. Paul, with pastries from Racket favs RMY Patisserie and Front Porch Pies. 2386 W. Territorial Rd., St. Paul
Càphin
Vietnamese coffee shop Càphin opened a Linden Hills location just over two years ago; it has been joined by a second shop in downtown Minneapolis. They have a grand opening scheduled for Saturday, March 7. 430 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
Bar Brava
Sooo remember last month, when we told you Bar Brava had closed after backlash to owner Dan Rice’s very public anti-Somali posts? Well um, the natural wine bar is back and serving a limited menu of cheesesteaks and pork sandwiches. Their Instagram comments, you will not be surprised to learn, have been turned off. 1914 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis
Pizza Luna and Trio Plant-Based
Midtown Global Market welcomed two new restaurants in February. First up is Pizza Luna, which is serving pizza and chicken wings. But this is also the return of Trio Plant-Based, the vegan restaurant that operated at Lyn-Lake for several years before closing in November. 920 E. Lake St., Minneapolis
Closed, Closing, or Changing
Kizzo → Nashville Coop
Back in August, Kamal Mohamed’s acclaimed Northeast restaurant Stepchld closed to make way for a new Mohamed concept, Kizzo. Now Kizzo has closed, too, making way for yet another Mohamed concept—this time around, it’s the fourth location of his fried-chicken chain, Nashville Coop. The Cooper Burger is stickin’ around, per an Instagram post. 24 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Burrito Loco
Burrito Loco in Dinkytown had been boarded up for months, reports the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, before selling for $1.35 million this month. My colleague Jay Boller is emotional over this one; he tells me B-Loco served as the editorial meeting spot for his ‘00s-era A&E department at the Minnesota Daily and, he keeps yammering, a one-time Lobster Zone location. 418 13th Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Local Rumor
“After many conversations and every effort to keep going,” Local Rumor in St. Paul closed on February 7. “Despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach a sustainable agreement with our landlord that would allow us to continue operating,” the restaurant’s Instagram farewell reads. “Like many small businesses right now, we’ve been navigating rising costs and an increasingly difficult landscape, and ultimately we ran out of room to keep stretching.” 1811 Selby Ave., St. Paul
D'Amico and Sons
D’Amico and Sons is closing its final two remaining Minnesota locations, per MSP Mag, which has a great recap of the expansion and eventual contraction of the locally headquartered chain. Brothers Richard and Larry D'Amico are shifting their focus to their restaurants in Naples, Florida.
Headflyer Brewing Taproom
Brewery bubble watch: HeadFlyer Brewing has announced that after 10 years, its northeast Minneapolis taproom will close on April 5. The beer itself isn’t done for; the plan is to continue brewing and distributing to bars, restaurants, and liquor stores, according to a February 26 social media post. 861 E. Hennepin Ave. #100, Minneapolis
Lucille’s, Marigold St. Paul
St. Paul’s two NA bottle shops announced that they’re calling it quits this month. Lucille’s (24 W. Seventh Place) is closing to transition to “a full-blown alcohol-free experience company,” per this Instagram post, while the folks at Marigold (2236 Carter Ave.) plan to focus their energy on the original Minneapolis store.
Groundswell
St. Paul’s Groundswell has been closed since last May, when the cafe suffered a devastating fire. In February, its owners announced that the long-running coffee shop will not reopen: “Financially, we just cannot make it work.” 1340 Thomas Ave. W., St. Paul
Just Announced and Coming Soon
Arizona Taco Co.
A New Hope-based spot called Arizona Taco Co. is moving into the former Arts & Rec space in Seven Points, according to Southwest Voices. The taco spot is taking over the former Arts & Rec space, which closed in 2023, and plans to make use of the big ol’ building with salsa and other dance nights. 3001 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Martiya
We saved the best for last: Afro Deli owner Abdirahman Kahi is planning his very first sit-down restaurant. The Biz Journal reports that Martiya, an upscale East African restaurant, will open at Opportunity Crossing, the new mixed-used building at Lake Street and Nicollet in Minneapolis. Kahi hopes to open Martiya on July 4. 3030 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
In the Works
As previously reported in the Racket Restaurant Roundup…
OG Zaza
OG Zaza will open a location on Grand Avenue in St. Paul very soon, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. It’ll be OGZ’s fifth location, and it’ll be adjacent to Grand Ole Creamery, replacing the egg sandwich shop Big E.
Killen’s
Peter Killen, formerly of area Irish pubs Kieran's and The Local, is opening an Irish pub of his own in the North Loop, per the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Killen’s will have a 30-seat horseshoe bar and a 50-seat patio, according to the Biz Journal, and a menu of Irish pub fare. Expect doors to open in May. 324 N. Sixth Ave., Minneapolis
Parcelle North Loop
Parcelle, the fancy-pants smoothie shop we begrudgingly love, is about to get a second location, according to the Strib. Parcelle No. 2 in the North Loop will only be about a mile from Parcelle No. 1 in Northeast—can the city sustain this many pricey smoothie joints?? 210 N. First St., Minneapolis
Saffron
Sameh Wadi’s Middle Eastern restaurant Saffron will officially return, an announcement we first teased… oh, a year and a half ago. Wadi purchased the former Young Joni space in Northeast, according to MSP Mag, and Saffron should reopen within the next year-ish. 165 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Wild Mind Will Keep Brewing
Wild Mind Ales closed in September after an 11-year run, but the space will keep on brewin’ thanks to the folks behind Berlin Music Bar in the North Loop. Per Axios Twin Cities, they’re going to “keep a brewing component” and add food to the equation, with Blue Fox Concepts working on the space. 6031 Pillsbury Ave. S., Minneapolis
Haraz Coffee House
The former Iron Door at Lyn-Lake will soon house Haraz Coffee House, a Yemeni coffee chain with 30+ locations around the U.S., according to Bring Me the News. It’ll be the first Twin Cities location for Haraz, which is hoping for a March opening. 621 W. Lake St., Minneapolis
Owamni on the Move
Owamni, chef Sean Sherman's groundbreaking and award-winning Indigenous restaurant, is relocating from its Minneapolis home in the Water Works Pavilion to a few blocks away inside the Guthrie Theater. “The space at the Guthrie doubles the size of our current location, and together we will continue to reconnect people with traditional Indigenous food practices and support Native cultural revitalization and community well-being," Sherman says in a press release. 818 S. Second St., Minneapolis
Americano
Cocina Del Barrio at 50th and France closed October 1. In its place, there’ll be a new Daniel Del Prado restaurant called Americano with “Mad Men vibes,” reports MSP Mag. Barrio’s downtown Minneapolis location is staying open. 5036 France Ave. S., Edina
The Get Down Coffee Co. → Blue in Green Bistro
Proprietor Houston White has announced the closure of The Get Down Coffee Co., the North Minneapolis coffee shop he opened in 2021. He tells the Star Tribune it was time for something new: in this case, a bistro called Blue in Green (after the Miles Davis song) that’ll have a full food menu and a more upscale vibe. “I think in this town, we stagnate because we just accept the best of what we have instead of expecting to continue to evolve it,” White tells the Strib. 1500 N. 44th Ave., Minneapolis
Aubergine
The former Revival space on St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill will soon become Aubergine, “a restaurant that celebrates Lyonnaise cuisine with Minnesota ingredients,” per the Star Tribune. Bjorn and Megan Jacobse say you’ll see a lotta eggplant at their new restaurant, hence the name, along with other seasonal French fare. 525 Selby Ave., St. Paul
Ono Hawaiian Plates
The North Loop Galley, which was home to Ono Hawaiian plates, closed earlier this summer. But Ono is sticking around; they announced this month that the restaurant will head for the former Guacaya Bistreaux space, not far from their former food hall home. 337 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis
Downtown Food Hall
Can a 30,000-square-foot food hall save downtown Minneapolis? Hey, worth a shot. The folks behind The Market at Malcolm Yards are working with Hempel Real Estate to plan a 30,000-square-foot food hall on the ground floor of LaSalle Plaza, reports the Biz Journal. Per the plans, it’s going to have 700 seats, with 16 restaurant spaces, two bars, and a self-serve beer wall, plus an event space, a play area for kiddos, a pickleball court, and shuffleboards. 825 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks North Loop
We first noticed Tono’s rapid expansion back in 2022, but the pizza and cheesesteak shop hasn’t slowed down a bit. After launching in 2019, an 11th Tono is being planned in the North Loop, reports the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 250 Third Ave. N., Minneapolis
Marrone’s
The Star Tribune has the scoop on Marrone’s, a new woodfired pizza restaurant from Steven Brown (Tilia, St. Genevieve). The vibe here will be inspired by late ’70s New York City (the phrase “pizza oven that looks like a disco ball” appears in that Strib story), and while it’s still in the early stages, they’re looking to open before the year is out. 4250 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
Prince Coal-Fired Pizza
Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks and Andrea Pizza are getting to work on yet another pizza place. Prince Coal-Fired Pizza is heading for the former Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza spot in downtown St. Paul. Expect a full-service restaurant with a full bar and takeout, but not another Tono; “We will have a specialized menu that will include coal-fired pizza, meatball sandwiches, appetizers and other sandwiches,” co-owner Shaz Khan tells the Pioneer Press. 512 N. Robert St., St. Paul
Namos Restaurant and Lounge
A “luxury” sports bar, Namos Restaurant and Lounge, is heading for the old Erik the Red space steps from U.S. Bank Stadium, according to Downtown Voices. A recent Instagram post from Namos says it’ll be "a fusion of culture, cuisine, and live sports like you’ve never seen." I doubt that very much, unless Vikings players are doing a Coyote Ugly thing on the bar after each game—but hey, maybe they are! 601 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis
Bubble Line Brewery
Brittney Mikell—who honed her skills as an assistant brewer at La Doña Cervecería—is readying to open the state’s first Black woman-owned brewery in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. You can find the latest updates from Bubble Line Brewery on Instagram.
Billy Sushi x NOLO Kitchen Concept
Billy Tserenbat of Billy Sushi and Marty Collins, co-owner of NOLO’s Kitchen, are working on a new North Loop restaurant, the North Loop Neighborhood Association reports. They’ve already got the keys to the Washington Avenue space between Borough/Parlour and Bar La Grassa, and the restaurant will be "inspired by the legendary chaos and charm of places like Chino Latino and Bella Notte." Love the sound of that, personally.
Asia Village
As it prepares to open inside Blaine’s Northtown Mall, Asia Village has announced that 85°C Bakery & Cafe, a Taiwan-based chain, and local Vietnamese restaurant Pho Mai will be among the vendors at the all-Asian food court, according to the Strib. The building is 90% leased, per the developer, with a tentative opening planned for early 2026. 301 Northtown Dr. NE, Blaine
ŠHOTÁ Indigenous BBQ by Owamni
Sean Sherman’s nonprofit, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), is opening its very own food building. NATIFS Wóyute Thipi is taking over the former Seward Co-op Creamery Café space, and will soon house a commissary kitchen for Indigenous foods, a coworking space that will support BIPOC businesses—and an Indigenous barbecue restaurant, ŠHOTÁ Indigenous BBQ by Owamni. 2601 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis
