After 15 years, Sun Street Breads plans to sunset. But fans of the beloved south Minneapolis cafe and bakery will have some time before last call for scratch artisan breads, cinnamon cardamom rolls, breakfast sandwiches and animal crackers.
Head baker/co-owner Solveig Toftesaid the bakery will close in March 2026, when the lease ends. She said the main reason for the closure is to start a new project in Grand Marais, Minn., where she and her husband/co-owner Martin Ouimet have family and plan to launch a food trailer featuring sandwiches with housemade bread from Tofte and barbecue from Ouimet. (Find Ouimet’s barbecue, Moon Cow BBQ, on select Wednesday nights at the Nokomis Farmers Market). If all goes well, the new venture will launch in late summer 2026.
“We’ve done this for 15 years and it’s time for something new,” Tofte said.
She said the challenges of running a restaurant, including everything from rising food costs to equipment updates, and the timing of their lease also were factors. And even though they saw an uptick in the bottom line this year, they decided not to renew their lease for another five years after it expires in early 2026.
“We’ve been running at a loss for the last few years, and so that rainy day fund is dwindling. We always wanted to be able to make our own choices, and so we’re at that point where we can make this choice,“ Tofte said. ”I am concerned, however, if we stay open for five more years we might not be able to. This way, everyone and everything gets paid. We want to end on a good note.”
![Solveig Tofte, left, and Martin Ouimet, co-owners of Sun Street Breads, stood for a portrait at their restaurant located at 4600 Nicollet Ave. ] Isaac Hale ï isaac.hale@startribune.com This year's Taste Fifty focuses on Nicollet Avenue, also know as "Eat Street" in Minneapolis.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/LGVNDLKRWEMHHEQZBIOICFWO3U.jpg?&w=1080)
Tofte opened the bakery (4600 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.) in 2011 after launching Sun Street Breads — a play on her Norwegian name (sol means sun, veig translates to street) — at the Kingfield Farmers Market in 2010. The couple satisfied sweet and savory cravings in their south Minneapolis neighborhood from breakfast through lunch, and the popular Thursday pizza nights.
Tofte said they’ll look back with great memories, thankful for a community that embraced them on day one — and still to this day.
“We always wanted to just be a community place and we have been repaid one thousand, million times over,” Tofte said. “Everybody’s just so nice and supportive and we’ve watched families grow up and we’re just so grateful. But it’s not over yet.”
