St. Paul Farmers Market grows with new indoor space

The St. Paul Farmers Market is opening a new indoor market space to boost its offerings year-round.

The expansion into the former Black Dog Cafe space not only allows vendors to extend their seasons, but it also offers customers and growers more parking and a temperature-controlled shopping experience. Organizers also hope the space will help revitalize Lowertown, a neighborhood that has been struggling in recent years.

Roberto Galvan, co-owner of Galvan Foods & Tortilleria, said the new space will help vendors so they’re not outside during Minnesota winters.

“I’ve been out there for the past three years in subzero temperatures making tacos with my bare hands,” Galvan said. “This is an opportunity not only for customers to be comfortable, but also to expand the market.”

Jim Golden, the market’s executive director, said the space at 308 Prince St., around the corner from the outdoor market, has been a long time coming. Its amenities will provide new opportunities for vendors.

“It’s tough to make it in farming,” he said. “What the indoor market does is it allows the opportunity for growers to have access to customers, and a kitchen, and a place to sell themselves.”

The indoor market will be open alongside the outdoor market from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays, beginning Nov. 1, Golden said. He hopes for the indoor space to be open seven days a week by spring.

Golden said they are still working out some of the details of the new location. For instance, it is not big enough for every vendor, so his team is working on which vendors will have an indoor space.

It also has a large commercial kitchen growers can rent and use whenever the space is open.

Galvan, who has sold tacos and tortillas at the market since 2021, is already using the kitchen space. He said he is excited for the indoor location to expand his business’ offerings, including seasonal tamales to burritos.

Galvan Foods will be a mainstay of the indoor space, Golden said, and will serve food whenever the location is open. The new market is also looking for a coffee vendor to pair with Galvan Foods for daily sales.

The farmers market’s expansion, Galvan said, will help lift up Lowertown.

The neighborhood has struggled with losing foot traffic the way many downtowns across the U.S. have in recent years and some restaurants have closed. The new business will be good for downtown in a variety of ways, said David Heschke, manager of the Lowertown St. Paul Farmers Market.

He said the space could be used for meetings, or someday, restaurant or food pop-up events.

“We’ll just keep expanding the store and adding new equipment for the kitchen,” Heschke said.

Whatever the future holds for the indoor market space, Golden said food will stay at the center of its mission.