Hot property: Andale Taqueria and Mercado

Type: Retail

Building size: 4,800 square feet

Developer: John D. Gross Commercial Real Estate

Architect: Julie Snow Architects

Contractor: Benson-Orth General Contractors

Details: One of the original former Embers restaurants in the Twin Cities, opened in 1961 in Richfield, has been given a loving makeover and is getting set for a summer debut as the Andale Taqueria and Mercado.

Developer John D. Gross, who specializes in refurbishing free-standing urban commercial buildings, said he bought the former restaurant three years ago as a speculative investment, not knowing exactly what he would do with it.

Gross' plan was to bring back the feel of what it was.

"My bankers thought I was just going to tear it down and start over with something new, and I said, 'Oh no, it's a midcentury retail gem and it just has to be brought back and kind of reinterpreted."

The 1,300-square-foot original structure, which features an upswept roof that cantilevers over the outside walls, is a prime example of expressive roadside architecture from the 1950s and '60s that found form in hamburger chains. Gross installed floor-to-ceiling glass curtainwall to accentuate the unusual roofline and made extensive interior renovations.

The second part of the effort was to build a companion structure for the newly signed tenants: Fernando Mellado-Barboza and Jorge Garcia Robles, owners of the popular Cinco de Mayo Mercado on Nicollet Avenue S. The pair had a concept for another Mexican grocery/bakery/deli, only this time paired with a sit-down taco restaurant. The result is the new Andale Taqueria and Mercado.

Gross brought in Matthew Kreilich of Julie Snow Architects to help design a new 3,400-square-foot connecting structure that will house Andale's delicatessen and grocery, while the former Embers will serve as its restaurant. The new structure, built by Benson-Orth General Contractors, plays off the first and features the same floor-to-ceiling glass.

DON JACOBSON