"So, I'm opening a restaurant," said Patti Soskin. "It's finally happening, and I'm super-excited."
The Yum! Kitchen and Bakery owner is launching her third venture in the street level of the Harper Apartments, a five-story mixed-use building at the southeast corner of Snelling and Selby avenues in St. Paul.
The project — a partnership with Soskin's husband, Robbie Soskin — was in the works before being delayed by the pandemic. But construction has started, and the doors are set to open in late October.
"The first time I looked at the space was 2½ years ago, and when I walked in, I immediately knew that everything felt right," said Soskin. "Your heart isn't always the best business plan, but sometimes you just have to do it."
The location has special significance for Soskin. She grew up in the nearby Highland Park neighborhood, and her grandfather's plumbing business was kitty-corner from the restaurant's address.
"My dad grew up behind the plumbing shop," said Soskin. "When we filed the legal papers, we used 'Yum! Homeland' as the legal name. It's my old stomping ground. It feels like home."
There's another tie to Soskin's past: The new Yum! will serve beer on tap, which is a first, and a sort-of nod to the site's longtime occupant, O'Gara's, which closed in 2018.
"I had my first underage illegal beer at O'Gara's," she said with a laugh.
