Zoe's Bakery & Cafe has relocated from its original home in Minneapolis' Lyn-Lake neighborhood into spacious digs on the ground floor of a big new Eat Street apartment building near Loring Park (1400 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., zoesusa.com).
It's important to note what made the move, and that's the baking acumen of the McCrery family; primarily son Jack, who learned the trade from his parents, Zoe and Nick. Their Eden Prairie commercial kitchen turns out a great-looking array of temptations, including flaky croissants, scones (both savory and sweet), fruit-packed muffins and buttery cookies. Breads are channeled into a series of grab-and-go sandwiches.
What's different — besides the address, of course — is the guy behind the counter. He's new co-owner Colin Jarvis. The coffee industry vet is managing Zoe's carefully considered coffee program, which features a proprietary blend of beans (roasted by Folly Coffee Roasters in St. Louis Park) and uses premium bottled milk from Autumnwood Farm in Forest Lake.
"When you think of all the milk that goes into a latté, for example, coffee shops could also be considered milk shops," said Jarvis. "Where we get our milk is very important to us, and we take pride in where we source our ingredients."
Jarvis returned to the Twin Cities last year after working for a coffee importer in Washington, D.C.
"I've read that with the pandemic, people have been re-evaluating what they're doing with their time and their careers," he said. "When I moved back to Minnesota and starting talking with Jack, I jumped at the opportunity. It's a good time to be starting something new."
Zoe's is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Opening soon in Richfield
Soul Bowl (520 N. 4th St., Mpls., soulbowlmn.com) is expanding.
The new location (7122 Chicago Av. S., Richfield) will continue to focus on contemporary soul food (with vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options), although part of the menu (dishes like curried goat and oxtail stew) will take cues from neighboring Galaxy Foods, a Caribbean-West Indian grocery. There will be takeout and delivery, but no on-site dining.
The new location marks a return to the area for co-owners Brittney and Gerard Klass — between them, the spouses estimate they have worked at nearly 20 restaurants in Bloomington and Richfield — but there's an added draw for Brittney, because she also grew up in Richfield.
"It's funny to think that my first three jobs were at the Richfield McDonald's, Bridgeman's and Bakers Square," she said. "And now I'm back, opening my own restaurant here."
Opening day is Aug. 2.
