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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 2nd, 2015, 1:34 pm
by amiller92
Loring Kitchen doesn't surprise me at all. I've never had anything there that I could remember the next day.
Several years ago they had a risotto with truffle oil that I've imitated at home, but yeah. We used to go a lot before we started eating close to all of our meals at home, but with the new editions to the neighborhood, I don't think we would even if we hadn't moved away.

Four Bells and Third Bird are just way better.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 2nd, 2015, 2:19 pm
by seanrichardryan
I'm sorry MSPBJ, are you insinuating Loring Kitchen was high-end restaurant? It was not.
Loring Kitchen joins the ranks of high-end downtown concepts like La Belle Vie, Vincent and Masa in announcing their closures.
They made poor use of their space, and the patio design/ arrangement was terrible. No loss.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 2nd, 2015, 3:11 pm
by 5th Ave Guy
Origami closing is a huge bummer. There will definitely be an opportunity for someone else to do sushi in the North Loop... and no, Shag didn't count.

Re: RBC Plaza / Gaviidae II renovation

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 7:39 am
by DTSB
I just walked by the Caribou on Nicollet (close to 12th St) and they had a sign that they were moving to 11th street and opening with an Einstein's Bagels. Would this be the old Masa space? I hope they are not moving to the skyway...

Re: RBC Plaza (former Gaviidae II)

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 9:33 am
by Silophant
There's currently no public skyway passage through Target Plaza, so unless they're renovating one in, it would have to be the Masa space.

Assuming its 11th and Nicollet, and not somewhere else on 11th.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 9:53 am
by LakeCharles
The only other skyways on 11th are the St. Thomas connector and the one from the Hilton to the parking ramp to the south. And they don't have retail spaces. So it's not going in the skyway.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 10:11 am
by grant1simons2
I wonder if the Einstein's will be in a separate space, or partially shared. It'd be pretty cool if we added 2-4 more doors facing Nicollet.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 10:14 am
by Wedgeguy
I can't imagine the Masa space going from high end to fast food coffee house with that kind of rent drop for them to survive. Food trucks will still kill some of their business during the good months so I can't see that space changing price points that much.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 10:27 am
by twincitizen
I wonder if the Einstein's will be in a separate space, or partially shared. It'd be pretty cool if we added 2-4 more doors facing Nicollet.
The new dual-branded location in Richfield is definitely "10 lbs of crap in a 5 lb bag". That is to say it is a normal Caribou with minimal space dedicated to the bagel operation. It is a true "dual-brand" setup - they share the same workers, cash registers, everything. I would not expect any other location to be any different.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... nding.html

EDIT: If they are going in the Masa space, they probably aren't taking all of it. So at minimum, the street level gains a coffee and quick-service food joint (sorely lacking outside of skyway hours), plus another small commercial space to be leased.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 10:53 am
by mnmike
Would be nice if they are maybe going to actually lease the space that was meant to be retail over by 11th and LaSalle for this...though I kind of doubt it. I worked at the Doubletree for years from the time that TPS was under construction, and for years they were telling us it was going to be leased to some sort of restaurant, but they just kept using it for office/storage. Caribou would do fine there, with UST across the street.

On a random note, there were also off and on talks of a skyway to Dtree, which never happened of course (complicated to route through their building).

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 12:30 pm
by Didier
Caribou and Bruegger's have a few connected stores that have their own staffs, registers, etc. So there is precedent for that setup, too.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 12:34 pm
by MNdible
Could be in the Vincent's space as well, right?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 1:03 pm
by amiller92
Could be in the Vincent's space as well, right?
That would be the same building it's already in.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 1:42 pm
by LakeCharles
But a bigger space, in a more prominent location.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 1:48 pm
by HiawathaGuy
Caribou and Bruegger's have a few connected stores that have their own staffs, registers, etc. So there is precedent for that setup, too.
From the Biz article posted above...
"Bruegger's has been a great partner for a long time, and the [Caribou/Bruegger's] stores that are already open will stay open. We're pleased with how they're performing," Caribou Chief Development Offider Matt Spanjers said.

But Caribou's "forward development will be focused on Einstein," he said.


That leads me to believe there won't be any that operate like the Caribou/Brueggers operational set-up.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 2:44 pm
by amiller92
But a bigger space, in a more prominent location.
Hard to believe they'd need/want the entire space, and would see to involve the same rent price point issue as the Masa space. But maybe Brit's wants yet more space so it can be divided between the two.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 3:55 pm
by proverfent
So happy Loring Kitchen is closing! Absolutely terrible food, small menu, and expensive. I really hope that something awesome can pick up this location because it really is a good spot, but I doubt anything will replace it. :(

Re: RBC Plaza / Gaviidae II renovation

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 4:05 pm
by DTSB
I was actually pleasantly surprised with the interior street level of the building. I walked through the building many times over the last few months while the interior was under construction and had no idea the main level was getting changed to a glass wall between Gaviidae2 and RBC Plaza. It looked nice.
I don't think "gaviidae2" is even a thing anymore. My boyfriend works at that Caribou on Nicollet at they call it the "RBC Plaza Caribou"
I just walked by the Caribou on Nicollet (close to 12th St) and they had a sign that they were moving to 11th street and opening with an Einstein's Bagels. Would this be the old Masa space? I hope they are not moving to the skyway...
Now that I read the sign better it says they are "moving to 1100 Nicollet Mall". That would be Vincent's space.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Retail News

Posted: December 3rd, 2015, 4:18 pm
by mnmike
Before Vincent, that space was a Bruegger's. Full circle back to bagels.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Restaurant News

Posted: December 4th, 2015, 8:01 am
by seanrichardryan
Ewww.
http://m.bizjournals.com/twincities/new ... ealth.html The third restaurant in the Metro Apartments is on the delinquent liquor tax list too.