While scoping out possible sites for a new French-style café and bistro, co-owners Peter Ireland and Jay Peterson sought a place with a strong neighborhood feel.
They settled on a space in the complex shared by the
Patina gift shop and the
George and the Dragon neighborhood pub at 50th and Bryant in Southwest Minneapolis.
Construction for
The Lynn on Bryant, whose name references its home in the Lynnhurst neighborhood, starts this week, according to Peterson.
The restaurateurs are drawing from the fact that “Lynnhurst is beginning to identify itself strongly,” says Peterson.
To take it a step further, he hopes that businesses here, including the restaurant, can turn the corner “into a nexus of sorts for residents.”
Already, the pair’s concept has been well received by neighbors, he says. “There’s support for independent restaurants and businesses in the neighborhood.”
He knows, he says, that making it work is about “lots of community-building and being out in public.”
The 1,600-square-foot restaurant will be divided into two rooms, each with 28 seats. The front room will have a casual feel, with a large communal table, while the back room will be a more formal dining room.
Since the building is new, The Lynn has the flexibility to build it out with the help of an architect. “We can lay out the kitchen and service area exactly as we like.”
As a nod to his and Ireland’s farm backgrounds, reclaimed barn wood will figure into the place. Other reclaimed materials will also be used throughout.
He describes the aesthetic as "warm Scandinavian modern," with plenty of natural light coming in. “Overall it’s going to be a light space, with a lot of white, soft grays, and a little red,” he says. “It’ll be elegant but playful.”
The restaurant is set to open by early October.
Source: Jay Peterson, manager, The Lynn on Bryant
Writer: Anna Pratt