Boom town: Record number of restaurants open in 2014

October 23, 2014 at 1:17AM
Bob Wood (red plaid with blue apron), right, injects lemon saffron emulsion into fresh, house-made angel hair pasta as Tyler Wilcox, center, and Justin Carlson add the finishing touches at Travail and the Rookery in Robbinsdale.
Bob Wood (red plaid with blue apron), right, injects lemon saffron emulsion into fresh, house-made angel hair pasta as Tyler Wilcox, center, and Justin Carlson add the finishing touches at Travail and the Rookery in Robbinsdale. (Special to the Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The figures are astounding: Since Jan. 1, we've charted 91 restaurants that have opened in the Twin Cities metro area, and are tracking 42 more in the pipeline. In no other year has the number of new restaurants ever approached this explosive growth.

In many ways, this is a locally fueled phenomenon. Although our tally includes a few chains — primarily those new to the region, or Minnesota-based enterprises kicking out their next location or two — this ever-growing list isn't about the latest Applebee's or Chick-fil-A. Instead, the vast majority are independently owned and operated ventures. (Chances are, we've overlooked a few, too.)

Sure, the past 10 months have not been without restaurant closings, including several significant farewells, but their frequency comes nowhere close to the volume of debuts. Just look at the numbers. So far in 2014, we have tallied roughly two dozen closings (again, ignoring the volatile fast-food zone). More than half of those once-empty locations have been quickly replaced by newcomers.

While this economy can present unique challenges for restaurateurs — after all, the skilled labor pool is finite — it's certainly an exciting time to be dining in the Twin Cities.

Don't believe us? Just study the map. The possibilities are starting to appear limitless.

about the writer

about the writer

Rick Nelson

Reporter

Rick Nelson joined the staff of the Star Tribune in 1998. He is a Twin Cities native, a University of Minnesota graduate and a James Beard Award winner. 

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