Plus, a Vietnamese coffee shop lands in Linden Hills, and more intel
Frogtown’s Hmongtown Marketplace is expanding to a second location at Maplewood Mall, as 3 Hmong TV first reported in November. Owner Toua Xiong is taking over the former Sears department store, with plans for a 50,000-square-foot grocery store on the ground level and smaller vendors on the second floor, according to the Pioneer Press, similar to the original marketplace on Como Avenue. But Xiong is also considering adding a bowling alley and a children’s area at the Maplewood location, and potentially an herbal spa, farmers market, night market, and senior center. He hopes to open in early 2025 — and in the meantime, he’s actively recruiting vendors.
Càphin Minneapolis, the Vietnamese coffee truck from owners Jenny and Savio Nguyen, is opening a permanent location at the former Jinx Tea Bar space at 4503 France Avenue South, as reported by Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. The Nguyens got their start serving Vietnamese coffees like cà phê trứng (a traditional egg coffee) and cà phê lá dứa (an espresso drink laced with pandan syrup) at farmers markets around the metro. They saw a huge increase in sales this summer, after Càphin proved to be a hit at the Mill City Farmers Market. The coffeeshop is slated to open in early February 2024 — the Nguyens also plan to serve pastries from local bakeries and, eventually, their banh-inis, a banh mi-panini mash up with Vietnamese ham, according to the Business Journal.
On December 5, the owners of Linden Hills’ Zumbro Cafe announced they were closing after a 30-year run. The Zumbro family didn’t give a reason for the closure, but hinted it might not be the end of the road for the cafe, writing “We do not see this as an ending, but more of a transition into something new and exciting for us all.” Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal reports Zumbro’s is set to be demolished to make way for a four-story commercial development, with retail space on the ground level and offices on the upper floors. Many Linden Hills residents have submitted public comments opposing the development, expressing concern about the development’s impacts on affordable housing, wildlife, and the neighborhood’s historic character. A Change.org petition has collected more than 900 signatures.