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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 21st, 2018, 12:14 pm
by kellonathan
I don't know---I can understand that sentiment actually. Waiting for the bus at 5+Hennepin, I didn't really feel like I was in the "heart" of downtown (or at least right next to, supposedly). The light rail station is literally surrounded by Sneaky Pete/Dreamgirls and two parking lots to the south. I wouldn't call that attractive.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 21st, 2018, 12:48 pm
by Multimodal
5th & Hennepin is kinda weird. With Hennepin being a major bus & BRT hub, and 5th St. being an LRT hub—and with both the blue & green lines soon extending an equal distance in the opposite directions—there should be massive mixed use development or other major destinations right there.

And yet today it’s parking lots and low end bars. There’s some common land ownership but a big developer will likely come in and merge several properties.

With the economy stalling, and the LRT extensions 5+ years out, will we have to wait until the next economic growth cycle?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 21st, 2018, 12:56 pm
by mamundsen
I agree on the strange feel of this corner. Anytime I've walked over to City Works for lunch it feels like a ghost town. Yet the other corner of Mayo Clinic with Kieran's does alright. Mayo Clinic still has 2 empty corners, which could be an indicator that this will be hard to lease up.

I've always thought that the LONG block from Hennepin to Nicollet is a killer. It just feels like a big change from one area to the other.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 21st, 2018, 11:25 pm
by Didier
Sure, there are some hotels there now, but my overall point remains: who is going to this part of Hennepin Avenue for a pleasant dining experience?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 22nd, 2018, 11:53 am
by grant1simons2
No argument there. But you said this is the edge of the CBD. It's still along multiple major transit lines with a work population of over 10,000 within blocks.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 22nd, 2018, 1:28 pm
by Didier
Yeah, I was probably too explicit in my first post. This stretch of Hennepin just feels very close to a lot of things, but not part of anything. This restaurant is on the back side of City Center, which is pretty much the western edge of the main office population. Hennepin has a lot going on south of here, but then it kind of stops and turns into parking lots, empty storefronts and bars. Most off the housing is in other parts of downtown. The stadiums are just far enough away, and I'm pretty sure most Target Center and Target Field parking is south of here, so it's not really on the way for those people.

So I guess I could see why an easy chain restaurant like Rosa Mexicano might appeal to business travelers at some of those newer hotels nearby, but if I was looking for an office happy hour or nice dinner out downtown, the stretch of Hennepin from Block E to the library is not where I'd think of. The businesses that seem to work here, at least right now, are more party bars than nice restaurants.

Of course, the dynamic is always changing. RBC will add a major destination to the northern part of Hennepin. A few filled in storefronts, especially the one on Block E, would help. And then the reconstruction could make for a more pleasant sidewalk experience, too.

But for right now, it just kind of is what it is. I'll say that if I were from the Cheesecake Factory and was looking for a downtown location, somewhere south and or east of here, closer to the big business hotels and other destinations, would be much more appealing. This seems destined for another Rosa Mexicano for the time being.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 24th, 2018, 6:21 pm
by kellonathan
On a tangentially related note, I wonder if the parking lot on the SE side of 5+Hennepin is less likely to get developed due to the mural. I imagine it being a good location to be a public plaza with food trucks and programming or some sorts, at least.

I'm also hoping the upcoming Hennepin Downtown resurfacing project can at least brighten up the corridor, making a bit more suitable for walking around and dining out, with added foot traffic from new developments near Gateway or Washington+Hennepin.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 27th, 2018, 11:58 am
by Ohiosotan
I don't see how we're missing the elephant in the room which is that Prime 6 was nearly a whopping *12,000 sq ft*!! No wonder Hennepin isn't that vibrant when you have bloated turds like this taking up all of the space leaving no room for small interesting local businesses to open up. You could make a whole mini-district with that much space with a mix of bars and restaurants.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 27th, 2018, 1:15 pm
by Silophant
Yeah, I'm hopeful that, with this space vacant again, the City Center owners will loop it into the upcoming renovation and split it into three (or twelve!) separate spaces.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 27th, 2018, 2:25 pm
by 5th Ave Guy
I'd love to know how the restaurant ever got off the ground. From the day it was announced it was pretty clear (and obvious from the day it opened) that they weren't going to make it to the one year mark. Who puts money into, or loans money to, something like that?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 27th, 2018, 10:29 pm
by dajazz
Dalton & Wade in the T3 building is closing

http://m.startribune.com/north-loop-cou ... 503571202/

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 30th, 2018, 10:38 pm
by Silophant
Wonder what happened - anecdotal, but they've been packed every time I've been there, including last Friday night.

In more hopeful news, the new brick and mortar Hibachi Daruma location, a couple blocks south of the now-closed Arby's, is now open until 8pm seven days a week.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: January 2nd, 2019, 9:50 am
by Bakken2016
Devil's Advocate in the old MASA space is open now as well.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: January 22nd, 2019, 1:28 pm
by dingo
Anyone heard of "Breakfast Bar" going in at the old Byte space at 319 First Avenue N.? I saw they blocked the windows today...

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: February 28th, 2019, 11:55 am
by zlkahn
Noted this in the East End/Thresher Square thread as well, but it looks like in addition to the hotel restaurant (Umbra) at the new Canopy Hilton in Downtown East they also have a Denver restaurant opening at 700 S 3rd St (the SW corner of the the Thresher Sq building) in May. Digging through permits on the property, it looks like its going to be Bacon Social House.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: February 28th, 2019, 12:11 pm
by rhettcarlson
Anyone heard of "Breakfast Bar" going in at the old Byte space at 319 First Avenue N.? I saw they blocked the windows today...
I heard that they plan to be a 24-hour diner and are close to finished with construction. The folks behind it were also looking in downtown St. Paul, but I suspect that will not move forward unless the downtown Mpls one is successful.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: March 5th, 2019, 7:57 am
by Silophant
Randle's has closed, and will be reopening as a Rojo's Mexican Grill by the end of March.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: April 23rd, 2019, 8:35 am
by xandrex
Lee's Liquor Lounge is closing. Blames it on SWLRT taking its parking. http://www.startribune.com/after-62-yea ... 508942872/

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: April 23rd, 2019, 8:52 am
by MattW
Pearl and the Thief moving into the downtown Moxy hotel.

http://www.startribune.com/top-chef-con ... 508907052/

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: April 23rd, 2019, 8:57 am
by Anondson
Lee's Liquor Lounge is closing. Blames it on SWLRT taking its parking.
Love that the Strib included the parking ramp a block away in the photo.