Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

[HiawathaGuy]

Famous Dave's is closing their Calhoun Square location: http://citypages.com/restaurants/famous ... /512628341

I would think a local brewpub would do very well with that space...

[mplsmatt]

Maybe. Republic didn't fare that well, but I don't pretend to understand all of the pressures of running a business in Calhoun Square. I think something a little more laid back (as opposed to Uptown Tavern, Pourhouse, etc.) and off Lake Street would appeal to a certain demographic, but it's also kind of a weird space in the back of a mall.

[xandrex]

As a fan of Republic, I still mourn it leaving Uptown. Really wish there was something in that vicinity at least similar to it in vibe.

[mnmike]

And it continues to be a sad and disappointing state of affairs with regard to retail in uptown and downtown.

How can we keep adding all of these residents, but we can't seem to support retail? I am not there to see, but Henn and Lake must be looking pretty sad....that is a lot of vacancies within one block each direction.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... s_headline

[Anondson]

With the trend of groceries + housing we’re seeing pop up so much I’m really expecting the Uptown Lund’s to get it. What’s the 2040 proposal for the Lund’s property, 10 stories?

[MplsErik]

arc'teryx is closing now

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... ng-in.html

[Silophant]

Eh, I figured Arc'teryx only moved in to take advantage of the clustering effect with North Face and Columbia, so I expected them to be gone soon after the other two closed.

[QuietBlue]

I doubt that store got a lot of people from outside the immediate area shopping there, which probably hurt it, because it's not the kind of store that local residents would go to often. And Uptown is just not an area that people from outside of it will go to for shopping. There's definitely a strong base there for the right kind of retail, but expensive specialized places like this aren't it. There's a reason why Fjallraven switched to an outlet format for their Uptown store.

[xandrex]

Kind of wild how one of (if the most) cohesive, urban space in Minneapolis in an area packing some of the highest density and near some of the wealthiest areas of town, has so many high-profile vacant spots.

With the exception of Target, has there been a new retail (not service or food) tenant in the area? I'm struggling to think of one in recent memory. Right now, the spaces formerly hosting Heartbreakers, Victoria's Secret, North Face, Columbia, and the failed Calhoun Square corner rehab are empty. Famous Dave's is joining that soon. We're probably not long for Piggy Bank to follow every other restaurant in the Old Chicago space and close.

Uptown isn't dead but...yikes.

[QuietBlue]

It might just be that the landlords are asking for too much money for the space. This has been an issue in other cities as well -- NYC has double-digit retail vacancies in Manhattan, for example, and it's certainly not an issue of customers having money or population there either. Tenants can only afford so much, especially with costs rising in other areas of their businesses too. Rent is one of the costs over which they have more control, because they can relocate somewhere else if they have to.

Plus, I get the impression that the people who shop/eat/drink in Uptown these days mostly live there or very close by. It's too much of a hassle to deal with otherwise if you don't live in the area. Now, that's still a huge number of people, but it does require the right type of store or restaurant.

[Qhaberl]

Maybe some of these buildings will eventually be taken down and replaced with more mixed use establishments.


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[LakeCharles]

Kind of wild how one of (if the most) cohesive, urban space in Minneapolis in an area packing some of the highest density and near some of the wealthiest areas of town, has so many high-profile vacant spots.

With the exception of Target, has there been a new retail (not service or food) tenant in the area? I'm struggling to think of one in recent memory. Right now, the spaces formerly hosting Heartbreakers, Victoria's Secret, North Face, Columbia, and the failed Calhoun Square corner rehab are empty. Famous Dave's is joining that soon. We're probably not long for Piggy Bank to follow every other restaurant in the Old Chicago space and close.

Uptown isn't dead but...yikes.

The Columbia space is a salon/spa, the North Face is a co-op of some sort. They were building out something in the Victoria's Secret space, so something might be coming there soon? The rest are still vacant, yes.

[twincitizen]

I would be 0% mad if the Apple store bailed on Uptown for a Nicollet Mall location. Nicollet is the right place for an Apple store if we’re only going to have one in the city (both would be fine too)

[QuietBlue]

I would be 0% mad if the Apple store bailed on Uptown for a Nicollet Mall location. Nicollet is the right place for an Apple store if we’re only going to have one in the city (both would be fine too)

While it would make sense in some ways, there's no way they would put one there due to the loss prevention issues they'd have, unfortunately.

[Silophant]

They have downtown stores in other cities. I'm sure they have it figured out.

[grant1simons2]

I would be 0% mad if the Apple store bailed on Uptown for a Nicollet Mall location. Nicollet is the right place for an Apple store if we’re only going to have one in the city (both would be fine too)

While it would make sense in some ways, there's no way they would put one there due to the loss prevention issues they'd have, unfortunately.

uff da

[QuietBlue]

They have downtown stores in other cities. I'm sure they have it figured out.

Of course. Being in a downtown is not the issue. But not all locations are the same. For some, the benefits will outweigh the challenges. I don't see Nicollet Mall as being one of those places in the same way that, say, Michigan Avenue is.

Edit: My initial assessment of "no way" was too strong. I still don't think they would, but they wouldn't (and shouldn't) reflexively dismiss it.

[QuietBlue]

uff da

Uff da...what, exactly? Retailers take loss prevention into account when deciding where to locate stores. Theft happens in every store, no matter where it is, but some are more prone to it than others, whether it is due to high traffic, a location that makes it easy, or whatever. Apple doesn't like to take really strong loss prevention measures compared to other retailers, which is fine and understandable. But that doesn't mean they don't take it into consideration. If the benefits of the location don't outweigh the negatives, they won't locate there.

[MplsErik]

Maybe we'll get lucky and the yet to be announced retailer at City Center is an Apple store.

Pure "wouldn't it be nice" speculation.

[Silophant]

Wait, you're saying retailers would prefer not to locate a store in a high traffic area for loss prevention reasons?

Man, I just have no head for business at all.