By Michelle Bruch

Nicollet Mall
The former Dunn Bros on Nicollet Mall is getting stocked with stronger drinks: Barrio, a tequila bar and “Latin street food” restaurant, is opening at 925 Nicollet Mall on July 15.

Two of Barrio’s owners are the people behind Solera at 900 Hennepin Ave. and La Belle Vie at 510 Groveland Ave. The restaurant will feature a mezzanine level and an outdoor patio.

Warehouse District
The owners of Brothers Bar & Grill at 430 1st Ave. N. are banking on busy ballpark days ahead, and they plan to open an outdoor patio in an adjacent alley.

Eric Fortney said the outdoor area, which would have arches of lights overhead, would look a bit similar to Champps’ seating area in an alley off of 1st Avenue. Brothers has operated out of the Kickernick building since November 1998.

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Harvey’s Bar & Grill at 106 N. 3rd St. has become The Ugly Mug.

The bar is promoting 20 beers on tap, 40 bottled beers, and “Bladder Buster” Friday, in which patrons drink free until they have to use the restrooms.

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A kiosk that provides fresh meals to take-and-bake is opening July 2 on the ground floor of the Butler Square building, 100 N. 6th St.

Snap Pea Co-owner Carie Mathison said patrons can place orders online in the morning at www.snappea.com and pick up the meal at the kiosk between 3 and 6 p.m. The seasonal menu is currently featuring entrees for the grill, such as creamy basil chicken and a steak stuffed with salami, onions and provolone. Other menu items include roasted potatoes, a veggie blend and a Greek pasta salad.

Mathison said the company is looking at other Downtown locations, but additional sites have not yet been finalized.

Loring Park
Hi-Fi Sound Electronics is moving a few blocks away from its home of 36 years, relocating from 1226 Harmon Ave. to 825 Glenwood Ave.

Sales Associate Steve Schaff said Lund Food Holdings was largely responsible for the move.

“It’s kind of a real estate crunch because the people that own the building are going to be doing some things with it, and quite simply, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to stay here in the long term,” Schaff said. “We were led to believe that we would be able to either stay at our location and/or move within the same building. ... But it turns out that just wasn’t feasible.”

A spokesman for Lund Food Holdings said no changes in the building are forcing the tenant to leave, and said Hi-Fi Sound chose not to renew its lease.
Schaff said the new Hi-Fi space will be slightly smaller than the old location, and said they hope to be operating at the new site by June 3.

Lund Real Estate Holdings purchased most of the land on Hi-Fi Sound’s block between 1999 and mid-2005, and city officials approved plans for a new Lunds market at Hennepin & 12th Street in late 2005. The timeline for project completion slowed and then stopped while Lunds staff members continued reworking the tight floor plan for the grocery store.

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CVS/Pharmacy is now open at 11th Street & Hennepin Avenue.
The 13,000-square-foot pharmacy has complete health and beauty product lines, convenience food items and a photo center.

Skyways
Crossings, a skyway barbershop for 26 years, is expanding into a full service salon.

The new owner, Donna Ruhland, has worked at Crossings for 12 years. She has redecorated the shop and added such services such as manicures, pedicures, cosmetology and reflexology, which is a massage that focuses on pressure points on the hands and feet to soften pain from allergies and other ailments.

“I think our prices are as moderate as you’re going to find for the services you’re going to get,” Ruhland said.

Reach Michelle Bruch at 436-4372 or mbruch@mnpubs.com