Nicollet Mall soon will get a little more hoppy.
A beer-oriented restaurant called HopCat will open this summer on the street level of the Nic on Fifth luxury apartment building.
HopCat will offer 100 beer taps, including more than 30 Minnesota craft brews as well as a pub menu of burgers, Detroit-style pizza and "crack fries" that are covered in beer batter and cracked pepper.
"The Twin Cities area is full of craft beer lovers, and Minnesota has some of the best craft breweries in the nation," said Mark Sellers, founder and owner of HopCat, in a statement.
He added that the site, which is next to the light rail line, is "ideal for creating a hub for craft beer lovers in the city."
The 5,500-square-foot restaurant at 5th Street and Nicollet will have enough room for about 240 seats inside and will feature a 100-seat outdoor patio.
Construction, which is estimated at $2 million, is planned to begin after city permits are secured.
The Nicollet Mall restaurant will be the first Minnesota location for HopCat, whose parent company BarFly Ventures was founded in Grand Rapids, Mich.
