urbanMSP

Wonderful!

Agreed that it seems to have a few too many windows for the old DA vibe, but I guess covering up the windows would both fix that and make the space fit in with the rest of the mall...

Seven restaurant is booked by NFL, Fogo de Chao adds more dining space

Tidbit from this locked article talks about Fogo adding more restaurant space:

Fogo continued to expand over the fall and winter and opened another dining area with 120 additional seats this month. The new private dining space is to the left of the bar. Fogo can now accommodate events with up to 450 people with the space.

"We’ve essentially doubled our private dining space," said Andy Feldmann, Fogo de Chao's senior vice president of marketing and sales. " ... It’s definitely one of our highest-grossing stores."

The restaurant took up a vacant space next door for the new dining room. If it's being unused for private events, the event space can be used for additional reservations or walk-in customers.

A couple years ago someone wit h direct knowledge told me Fogo was the highest grossing restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. Pretty impressive.

Fogo seems to be a hit with the from-out-of-town business crowd. I've been able to tag along a few times with different groups.

Sushi Train is filling in the old French Corner Bakery at 1200 Nicollet. It's a buffet style sushi restaurant that has it's sushi on a conveyer belt and runs to all the tables. A major destination! With 1 catch.

They were going to be open 11am-12am on weekdays. And 11am-2am on weekends. After 5 neighbors. YES FIVE. They changed their hours from 11am-11pm on weekdays and 11am-12am on weekends. Sad to see people opposed to later night vibrancy on Nicollet.

Neighbors, like, residents of the building?

I would assume. Even so, five residents of maybe 150?

Sushi Train is filling in the old French Corner Bakery at 1200 Nicollet. It's a buffet style sushi restaurant that has it's sushi on a conveyer belt and runs to all the tables. A major destination! With 1 catch.

They were going to be open 11am-12am on weekdays. And 11am-2am on weekends. After 5 neighbors. YES FIVE. They changed their hours from 11am-11pm on weekdays and 11am-12am on weekends. Sad to see people opposed to later night vibrancy on Nicollet.

YES!!! I got sushi last weekend and was wishing we had a place like this. Day made!

Neighbors, like, residents of the building?

I remember seeing that space listed for sale, so I'll bet it's a condo within that building (1200 on the Mall) and is subject to the terms set by the condo association board.

I wonder how that works. At the building I'm in, the commercial spaces are a separate entity with their own association board that's fully responsible for their common areas. Probably works better with a couple dozen commercial units than like three or whatever 1200 on the Mall has.

Hopefully the midnight close time is just a friendly agreement, not contractual, and they can quietly expand their hours without fuss in six months or so.

I live in a condo building with a commercial space. They are on the board, pay dues, and are subject to approved condo rules and regulations.

Yes. At 1200 On The Mall, the commercial space works just like any other unit in that they pay the same HOA dues as other residents/owners (bases on square footage). I heard that the residents stated they want a restaurant with simular hours as Buca, which is also in a condo building.

Hot Spots: First look at the upscale Prime 6 in the former Rosa Mexicano space (photos)

Should be a nice addition to Hennepin... perhaps it'll help activate something on the Mayo Clinic Square corner.

Cool. With a $120 steak, looks like it swoops in to tie for second with Manny's on the Bizjournals "Most Upscale Restaurant" list.

As for Mayo Clinic Square, I think there's still supposed to be a Jack Link's restaurant on that corner, no?

The office area of Smith Bros Garage of all places has been under construction for the last few months. Finally yesterday I could tell that a KITCHEN is going in there. This is the website on the building: http://beta.clustertruck.com/

And most of the garage is just paid parking right now. https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... epair.html
Buy-and-hold for a development in a few years?

Yeah that's my guess. Maybe they're waiting to tear it and the Drake down and do a 3/4 block development around the church?

It would be a disaster for the city's homeless population if the Drake were torn down without a replacement.

It would also be a shame just to tear down the drake...

Theoretically, you could tear down the garage and given it occupies the middle of the block connect to both empty corners of the block and keep the Drake. If someone wanted to they could match the architectural style of the Drake to retain the block's current character.