Downtown Retail & Restaurant News

[SurlyLHT]

The city took the Interrupters off the street and has an RFP for a replacement. Hopefully, Target can work with the Downtown replacements to work with the youth and not only stop them from fighting, but help them. I love this store and feel like Target needs to think a bit smarter to disperse people. I think part of this might even be with the library closed.

[uptownbro]

I think your correct with the library being closed as well as the reconstruction of Hennepin has moved alot of people from parts of downtown to Nicollet mall.

[Xcskier56]

Target will likely never close this store. Its far more important than just another store, it’s used by target corporate to test new layouts and be able to quickly see how their decisions play out on shelf. As long as headquarters is next door, this store will exist

[grrdanko]

It really bothers me that they have closed the liquor store and that the store now closes at 6. I understand that people hanging around fighting, blocking the entrance, panhandling is intimidating to some.

Target could easily have a larger security presence and make it slightly less comfortable for the loiterers so they could reopen the liquor store and return the store to normal hours.

[SurlyLHT]

They could do something as simple as stick a piano there and have an artist play it during peak times. Give the space the aura that this isn't somewhere to hangout. Support a musician during COVID

[John]

They could do something as simple as stick a piano there and have an artist play it during peak times. Give the space the aura that this isn't somewhere to hangout. Support a musician during COVID

Not a bad idea.

[tedlanda2571]

As long as headquarters is next door, this store will exist

Great. You just cursed it.

In all seriousness though, I know some influential Target employees that are in no hurry to get back downtown with all that’s going on. It’s kinda becoming chicken and egg.

[squrtis]

Little birdie told me Bar La Grassa, 112 and Birch Steak all closing. Such a shame.

[grant1simons2]

It's still super busy, not sure why people hanging out in front of the store would shut down a store. Already a bit ridiculous that it closes at 6. There's a big rush at 5 to get groceries before close.

[Austinite]

It's still super busy, not sure why people hanging out in front of the store would shut down a store. Already a bit ridiculous that it closes at 6. There's a big rush at 5 to get groceries before close.

I am sure once more people are back downtown, the hours will return to normal business hours.

Really sad about the state of downtown - I know other cities are also losing restaurants/businesses, but seems Mpls is really taking a huge hit - combination of the pandemic/riots and the weather I think. The long, cold winters don't help encourage people to venture out and support businesses. The change in shopping habits and safety concerns prior also didn't help.

Mpls really doesn't know what identity it wants - to be a place for residents or tourists. I personally think appealing to both are important. Can't really survive with only one. But I think now is the time to really work on attracting a wide range of new experiences downtown - since shopping and dining are so volatile. The the creation of the parks along the river front are great, but Mpls. should really work on luring additional cultural attractions to the downtown core. Bring back the zipline crossing the Mississippi, open art galleries again. People are drawn to things they can do/experience. And appeal to everyone - families, children, etc.

[Austinite]

Also - even though I shopped at the Target liquor store on Nicollet, I was never a fan of it opening, considering the number of homeless people and those who obviously had drinking problems whom were already loitering in the area. Bad part on the city for allowing it to open. I thought that per the city ordinance liquor stores weren't allowed to be so close to one another Think it hurt sales at Haskells down the street.

[Austinite]

Little birdie told me Bar La Grassa, 112 and Birch Steak all closing. Such a shame.

Unbelievable. I would have guessed perhaps 112 Eatery, but all three? It's really sad to hear so many well-regarded restaurants are closing. It's going to take along time for the city to rebound from all the closings of both retail stores and restaurants.

[grrdanko]

Also - even though I shopped at the Target liquor store on Nicollet, I was never a fan of it opening, considering the number of homeless people and those who obviously had drinking problems whom were already loitering in the area. Bad part on the city for allowing it to open. I thought that per the city ordinance liquor stores weren't allowed to be so close to one another Think it hurt sales at Haskells down the street.

Pre pandemic Haskell's had limited selection of everything other than wine and limited hours.

I think the Target liquor store was pretty good.

As a city we should work to fix the homelessness problem not prohibit certain businesses in certain areas.

[grant1simons2]

Downtown has been like this since I started actively going there in 2013. Gap closed and was an empty space for 2 years. City Center had a crappy Office Max in its space, which is now another poorly designed store, and Sports Authority lasted less than a year. Barnes and Noble was good, then it was replaced by some crappy steak place that covered all their windows up and stuck a bathroom on the corner of Nicollet. Walgreens was in a dumb 1 story building and has since moved to a nicer 2 story space.

I could keep going with the weird examples of changes happening downtown, but this year is no exception, and I'm really tired of people on here claiming this is the rapture of downtown because they're noticing our disparities that have ALWAYS existed. People are slowly coming back downtown, but the social issues will persist until we get real leadership on the matter. What's annoying is that businesses continue to use this as a reason why they have problems downtown, and not blame poor management, strange hours or lack of effort put into a space. I'm really happy with the new DGX, and I hope that becomes the model for what should exist on Nicollet. We need a range of retail, and honestly the pandemic highlighted just how many bloated restaurant spaces cater only to the office folks.

[MattW]

Little birdie told me Bar La Grassa, 112 and Birch Steak all closing. Such a shame.

Oh no... Burch Steak is such a large space. I think it could be subdivided, but, ugh so sad.

[uptownbro]

I read that many restaurants have stayed open but do plan on closing once things fully open up. My hope is that best case it drives rent prices down and like after the forest fire we get a huge bloom of new places

[alexschief]

As recessions go, this has been a highly unusual one, because most people haven't lacked for money, just ways to spend it. I've felt for a while that, when things finally open up for good, there might be a flood of spending as people make up for lost time. It won't be overnight, but hopefully by the end of the year.

[Austinite]

As recessions go, this has been a highly unusual one, because most people haven't lacked for money, just ways to spend it. I've felt for a while that, when things finally open up for good, there might be a flood of spending as people make up for lost time. It won't be overnight, but hopefully by the end of the year.

Sadly limited options for spending downtown and in the city...

[COLSLAW5]

Changing of topic but the closed CVS on Hennepin appears to be operating as a CVS branded Covid testing site. Considering it topped by a parking ramp and near transit this would probably also make a really good vaccination site as it a large open space.

[squrtis]

I read that many restaurants have stayed open but do plan on closing once things fully open up. My hope is that best case it drives rent prices down and like after the forest fire we get a huge bloom of new places

What is the rationale behind that?