After Seven Years on Quincy Street, Able Seedhouse and Brewery Will Close This Weekend

Able Seedhouse and Brewery announced yesterday on Instagram that this Saturday, October 1, will be its final day of service. The brewery first opened in Northeast Minneapolis in 2015, at a time when the Twin Cities’ brewery scene was growing rapidly. Owner Matt Johnson says Able has been struggling to survive after the setbacks of the pandemic — but he thinks other factors, like a budding brewery scene in the suburbs, have also reduced foot traffic.

“It’s tough to run a business in Minneapolis,” says Johnson. “People talk about saturation, but I think it’s more specific. There are still a lot of people coming to Northeast, but probably less, because a lot of the suburbs got their own breweries. I think it’s more about which people are willing to travel, and how much they’re willing to travel.”

Johnson won’t say what’s next for Able’s space on Quincy Street, other than that it’s a company with “a lot of energy, new financing, and a new spin on alcoholic beverages.” (Racket reports that unnamed sources say Buch, a hard kombucha seltzer company, will take over the lease.) Able is also the current home of Animales Burger Co., which will also be shutting down its food truck on October 1. Owner Jon Wiplfi announced on Instagram that he’ll be serving a burger option at sister truck Animales Barbecue Co., which is parked at Bauhaus Brew Labs — though the barbecue truck may be forced to shut down October 1 as well, following an order from the city of Minneapolis. Read that story here.

Coming soon: lunch and pastries from three Travail alumni

Racket reports that a new daytime restaurant is in the works for the Twin Cities. Three Travail alumni — chef Nat Moser, creative director Sarah Julson, and executive pastry chef Alex Althoff — have launched Dahlia, a “pastries and savories” operation. Thus far, Dahlia is only doing catering, but pop-ups and a full-service restaurant are coming soon. “We love savory foods and rich foods, so that’s kind of where our menu is headed,” Julson told Racket. “I think breakfast and lunch especially are thought to be really light meals… and not that heavy’s the right word, but we want it to be much more bold.” Moser, Julson, and Althoff are also honing in on hospitality and ambiance, planning a coffee shop vibe for the restaurant: Diners will be able to spend hours at a time at Dahlia, enjoying a slow meal of pastries and brunch food.

The Camden Social gets revamped on Lyndale Avenue

The Camden Social is undergoing a major transformation in North Minneapolis. New owners Fonzie and Kathryn Mayfield bought the restaurant (formerly the Camden Tavern and Grill) this April — as North News reports, it’s since emerged as a hot spot on Northside’s evening social scene. This week, the Mayfields started renovations on the interior and exterior of the restaurant: Full design plans haven’t been unveiled, but renderings show a lounge-like space with a wraparound booth and armchairs, high-top tables, and a full bar, plus a covered patio with sofas and greenery. There have been a number of other exciting recent restaurant openings in North Minneapolis: Black-owned, Black-led coffee shop the Get Down opened last fall, vegan restaurant Heal Mpls opened for full service earlier this month, and restaurant and cocktail bar Tap In is under construction on Lowry Avenue.