South Minneapolis is poised to get a new gluten-free bakery and a new juice bar.
Sift Gluten Free (4557 Bloomington Av. S., Mpls., siftglutenfree.com), an operation that has gained steam at farmers markets and in coffee shops around the Twin Cities, will debut a brick-and-mortar location near Lake Nokomis next month.
"We've realized there is a real need for this in the Twin Cities, with how well we have done," said Molly Miller, Sift's owner. "It kind of all happened naturally."
Last year, Miller purchased a four-unit, L-shaped building on the corner of 46th Street and Bloomington Avenue, converting two of the units — the former Sister Sludge coffee shop, which moved, and a doctor's office — into Sift's new home.
The new 2,000-square-foot space will include a baking kitchen, a coffee bar boasting drip coffee, espresso drinks and kombucha on tap, a freezer featuring items to take home and bake, and about 20 seats.
With room to grow, Miller — who is currently baking out of City Food Studio on Chicago Avenue S. — will be expanding on the pastries that have gotten Sift noticed around town. Miller plans to add a variety of breads and other savory options, as well as more flavors of the doughnuts and muffins currently distributed in the 25 coffee shops and markets in the metro area. The cinnamon buns — Sift's most popular farmers market item — will remain, as well.
Miller has leased the other two units in the building to fellow City Food Studio renters Green Bee Juicery (greenbeejuicery.com). Green Bee, which started out as a subscription service and farmers market regular, specializes in cold-press juices using local produce, as well as nut milks.
The two operations hope to open around the same time in October.
