
By the time Halloween rolls around, Luke Shimp will be the proud owner of his second North Loop restaurant.
The man behind the fast-growing Red Cow chain — which operates its third outlet in the neighborhood — is stepping away from his burger-centric format to launch Red Rabbit.
The site? A 116-year-old building — currently being used as an auto repair shop — at 201 Washington Av. N., on the corner of Washington and 2nd avenues N. (pictured, above). Shimp said that the 5,000 square-foot building is perfectly suited to his needs.
"That's a Luke-sized restaurant," he said with a laugh. "That means about 125 seats inside, with 60 to 70 on the patio, and that's perfect."
That patio will have a greenhouse-like quality, with retractable enclosures (similar to the system that makes the patio at Patrick McGovern's Pub & Restaurant in St. Paul so distinctive) that extend the facility's use over three seasons.
"For this market, that's a no-brainer of an investment," said Shimp. "It seems like we have more days that aren't beautiful vs. days that are beautiful."
The bar will also have an indoor-outdoor component.
"It's going to have a roll-up window, with seats on the outside, facing in," said Shimp. "Those are going to be the prime seats."