Two years after its closure, the old Burch Pharmacy space in Minneapolis’s Lowry Hill neighborhood will be resurrected in the form of a steakhouse called Burch.
The pharmacy occupied the three-story building for 80 years before closing in 2010, according to a Star Tribune story.
Leading the charge is well-known local restaurateur and James Beard Award winner Isaac Becker along with his wife, Nancy St. Pierre, and their business partner, Ryan Burnet, according to the Star Tribune.
Burch will take up most of the building’s ground level; it’ll have a 100-seat dining room and bar along with an open kitchen, according to the story.
A separate neighborhood-style café area with a 50-seat bar and dining room is planned for the basement.
Also as a part of its redevelopment, office and retail space will fill other parts of the building, according to Maureen Sheehan, who serves as the vice president of the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association board.
Some building features, such as exposed brick walls and tiles, will be left intact, according to the Southwest Journal.
Sheehan says that the neighborhood is excited for the project, especially since it'll be a sensitive rehabilitation “to respect the structure that’s already there.”
Plus, the Burch Pharmacy was “such a cool institution in the city,” with great sentimental value. “To have it back in play is fantastic.”
On a broader level, “We’re looking for that piece of Hennepin to be alive again,” she says.
The restaurant could open in late 2012 or early 2013.
Further, the Isaac Becker restaurants (
112 Eatery,
Bar La Grassa) have a good reputation. “We’re excited about the quality of the restaurant going in,” Sheehan says. “It will be a great addition to the neighborhood.”
Source: Maureen Sheehan, LHNA
Writer: Anna Pratt