Category Archives: Park Concessions

Who’s going to run them? Why do they lose money?

Island Charrette Focuses on Public-Private Sharing

The following item was written by John Chaffee, resident of Nicollet Island and member of the charrette:

The Park Board held a charrette yesterday focused on updating plans for Nicollet Island.  There will be another one on the same subject today, December 11, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.  The public is invited.

These charrettes are part of the ongoing public engagement process for updating the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan.

Much of the discussion at yesterday’s charrette dealt with how park land should be shared between the general public and MPRB lessees or concessionnaires, such as the Nicollet Island Inn and the vendor-controlled Nicollet Island Pavilion.

The privately-owned Nicollet Island Inn occupies land leased from the Park Board and pays an annual rent.  The Park Board-owned Pavilion has been operated since 2002 by MinTahoe, an events and hospitality firm.  Individuals who wish to use the Pavilion must purchase an event and catering package from MinTahoe.  According to an article published several years ago on the Minnesota Bride website, a wedding reception at the Pavilion costs $7000 or more.

One attendee at the charrette said that he didn’t feel comfortable using the public walkways and decks on the south end of the Island when a private event is being held at the Pavilion.  Both MPRB and MinTahoe representatives said those areas continue to be open to the public during private events.  There was discussion of using signage or other methods to make the public feel welcome in these public areas.

The MinTahoe representative also mentioned that MinTahoe would like to expand the Pavilion so as to accommodate larger events.  Several members of the public expressed alarm about the impact of such an expansion on the historic Pavilion building, a converted industrial structure formerly occupied by the William Bros Boiler Works.  There was also concern about the effect of larger events on the limited supply of parking on the Island.

Other discussion at the charrette focused on improving pedestrian and bike trail connections to and across the Island, with the area of greatest concern being the lack of a complete trail connection between Boom Island and Main Street.

Nokomis CAC Member Critiques Plan Changes

The following letter was sent to Park Board commissioners on December 3, 2013 by Nokomis CAC member Cheryl Luger.  Some additional comments following the body of the letter have been omitted.

Public Hearing: Nokomis concession stand and committee action resolution

Dear Commissioners :

27′ setbacks on park land for private enterprise ?

I have finished reviewing the plans presented for the concession stand received a few days before the thanksgiving holiday.

What has emerged is a blue print giving the perception of a private club that encroaches on public land with a beach guard rail.

It may establish  psychological barriers to entry and may separate those who use the area from those who feel they cannot or should not access the area..

I honestly believe this was not the intention of planning staff, Sandcastle or its chosen designer but a case of enthusiastic design.

Action requested :

Continue reading

Sandcastle Plans Expanded Patio at Lake Nokomis

The following article by Nick Halter was published in the December 3, 2013 issue of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal:

Lake Nokomis eatery plans expanded lakeside patio

After its first summer on the shore of Lake Nokomis, Sandcastle is getting a larger, renovated patio.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board will make the improvements as part of the agreement it reached with Sandcastle owners when it selected the eatery over two other vendors last year.

The plans still need board approval, but they call for covering the patio in the front and extending it toward the water’s edge. A rail would be built along the lakeside.

Seating would increase from 75 to 100, said Amy Greeley, co-owner of Sandcastle.

Greeley owns Sandcastle with her husband, chef Doug Flicker, as well as with their friend Chele Payer.

Flicker is the owner of Piccolo, a south Minneapolis restaurant.

Greeley said that despite a late start — the eatery opened in late June because of delays in getting construction permits — Sandcastle had a good first summer.

The eatery did just under $350,000 in revenue in about three months, Greeley said. The Park Board gets 12 percent of that revenue as rent for the lakeside real estate.

The Park Board hired Locus Architecture Ltd. to design the patio. That’s the same Minneapolis firm that did the building work for Sandcastle.

Sandcastle plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign in February to raise money for a soft serve ice cream machine. Backers will get free cones next summer.

CITY, PARK BOARD ENVISION SEA SALT-STYLE VENDOR FOR DOWNTOWN EAST PARK

The following article by Nick Halter was published in the Southwest Journal on August 1, 2013:

CITY, PARK BOARD ENVISION SEA SALT-STYLE VENDOR FOR DOWNTOWN EAST PARK

On the heels of a City Council green light for a $400 million Downtown East development proposal, Mayor R.T. Rybak today discussed the possibility of a restaurant in a new downtown park that would be in the mold of Sea Salt Eatery or Tin Fish.

“Our idea would be to create a destination restaurant that could generate revenue back to operate The Yard in the spirit of Sea Salt and Tin Fish,” Rybak said.

As part of the development proposal, the city could sell back a small piece of the two blocks of parkland to developer Ryan Cos. for a smaller development. Ryan Cos. would then give the city rights to open up the first floor of the development to a restaurant.

That’s where the Minneapolis Park Board would come in. The Park Board has a history of issuing requests for proposals to allow private vendors to do business on park property.

That model has been a success at several locations. Tin Fish operates on the north shore of Lake Calhoun. Sea Salt Eatery is popular seafood restaurant that is run out of a Park Board building near Minnehaha Falls. Bread & Pickle opened last summer near the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

The Park Board generally takes a cut of vendor revenue. For example, Tin Fish paid the Park Board $169,000 in 2011.

Park Board President John Erwin said the Park Board would be interested in having two vendors at a new park, and he said his conservative estimate is that each would generate $150,000 annually. Maintaining a park downtown would likely cost $300,000, Erwin said.

While Erwin and Rybak are in agreement about the idea of the Park Board opening the downtown park to private restaurants, it’s unclear if they agree about who should own the park.

The city expects to pay about $15 million to buy the two blocks and several million more to green the space and add amenities.

“We don’t have the resources to build the park,” Erwin said. “That would have to be an effort by the city and the developer.”

Erwin said the Park Board should own the land because the Park Board has shown a commitment to keeping green spaces green.

“The Park Board’s position has been that, why wouldn’t the city want the No. 1 rated park system in the nation to run the park?” Erwin said.

Rybak has not said specifically who would own the land.

“The city is the developer of this, and then Park Board would be the operator, whether they eventually get ownership or not,” he said.

Rick Collins, vice president of development for Ryan Cos., said Ryan Cos. is contemplating residential development on that piece of land and is open to the restaurant idea.

“We anticipate inclusion of some space that would be supportive of park retail services or food offerings,” Collins said. “And we are open to conversation about Sea Salt or some similar restaurant.”

CITY, PARK BOARD ENVISION SEA-SALT STYLE VENDOR FOR DOWNTOWN EAST PARK

The following article by Nick Halter dated July 20, 2013 was published in the Southwest Journal:

CITY, PARK BOARD ENVISION SEA-SALT STYLE VENDOR FOR DOWNTOWN EAST PARK

On the heels of a City Council green light for a $400 million Downtown East development proposal, Mayor R.T. Rybak today discussed the possibility of a restaurant in a new downtown park that would be in the mold of Sea Salt Eatery or Tin Fish.

“Our idea would be to create a destination restaurant that could generate revenue back to operate The Yard in the spirit of Sea Salt and Tin Fish,” Rybak said.

As part of the development proposal, the city could sell back a small piece of the two blocks of parkland to developer Ryan Cos. for a smaller development. Ryan Cos. would then give the city rights to open up the first floor of the development to a restaurant.

That’s where the Minneapolis Park Board would come in. The Park Board has a history of issuing requests for proposals to allow private vendors to do business on park property.

That model has been a success at several locations. Tin Fish operates on the north shore of Lake Calhoun. Sea Salt Eatery is popular seafood restaurant that is run out of a Park Board building near Minnehaha Falls. Bread & Pickle opened last summer near the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

The Park Board generally takes a cut of vendor revenue. For example, Tin Fish paid the Park Board $169,000 in 2011.

Park Board President John Erwin said the Park Board would be interested in having two vendors at a new park, and he said his conservative estimate is that each would generate $150,000 annually. Maintaining a park downtown would likely cost $300,000, Erwin said.

While Erwin and Rybak are in agreement about the idea of the Park Board opening the downtown park to private restaurants, it’s unclear if they agree about who should own the park.

The city expects to pay about $15 million to buy the two blocks and several million more to green the space and add amenities.

“We don’t have the resources to build the park,” Erwin said. “That would have to be an effort by the city and the developer.”

Erwin said the Park Board should own the land because the Park Board has shown a commitment to keeping green spaces green.

“The Park Board’s position has been that, why wouldn’t the city want the No. 1 rated park system in the nation to run the park?” Erwin said.

Rybak has not said specifically who would own the land.

“The city is the developer of this, and then Park Board would be the operator, whether they eventually get ownership or not,” he said.

Rick Collins, vice president of development for Ryan Cos., said Ryan Cos. is contemplating residential development on that piece of land and is open to the restaurant idea.

“We anticipate inclusion of some space that would be supportive of park retail services or food offerings,” Collins said. “And we are open to conversation about Sea Salt or some similar restaurant.”

Minutes of Bread and Pickle Liquor License Hearing

The following are the minutes of the 4/29/13 Bread & Pickle Public Hearing at City Hall. There were five citizens offering testimony–four against and one for.

MINUTES

Regular Meeting

Standing Committee of the Minneapolis City Council

Regulatory, Energy & Environment Committee

April 29, 2013

Present: Committee Members Glidden, Gordon, Goodman, Samuels, Schiff, Hofstede

7. Bread & Pickle, 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway: Application for On-Sale Wine Class E with Strong Beer License.

Grant Wilson, Manager, Licenses and Consumer Services, reported on the license application. This was a request for a Charter On-Sale Wine Class E with Strong Beer License for the pavilion next to the Lake Harriet Band Shell on Park Board property. The interior of the pavilion has seating for 25 persons at tables and outside seating for 108 persons. The proposed hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The design of the patio area was approved by the Park Board. Because this is a Charter Wine establishment, patrons will be required to order food before alcoholic beverages can be served and the business will be subject to a 70-30 ratio of food-to-alcohol sales. This establishment will be similar to two other restaurants: Sea Salt at Minnehaha Falls Park and Tin Fish at Lake Calhoun. Thirty-eight notices were sent to residents and property owners within 600 feet of the establishment as well as the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and the Linden Hills Business Association. Eight responses were received: six opposed and two in support. The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council was in support of the application. The application meets the requirements of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances and staff recommended approval at this time subject to the public hearing.

The Committee discussed/questioned the following:

–The plan before the Committee was approved by the Park Board last week.

–To meet the City’s requirements, the plan must be compact and contiguous and there must be an approved Management Plan to control the space.

–In all applications of this type on park land, the City requires the businesses to allow individuals who are not purchasing anything to be free to use the table space since it is public land.

–Customers will not be able to walk outside the seating area with alcohol.

–There will be signage stating “No Alcohol Beyond This Point” with benches/planters delineating the seating area.

–The outside seating area does not include the Band Shell area.

–The benches and planters must be maintained to Park Board standards.

Glidden opened the public hearing. The Committee received the following comments:

a) Robert S. Carney, 4232 Colfax Avenue South, spoke in opposition to the application. The park system allows no advertising. Families with children use this area, and he was concerned that the area would be taken over by a drinking crowd. The area is very crowded in the summer when there are concerts, and the proposal will discourage people from walking by. He distributed a handout showing another location where the restaurant could be located instead. The character of the park system should not be changed.

b) Isaac Townsend, 4953 Thomas Avenue South, spoke in opposition to the application. He was a patron of Bread and Pickle and loved the food. Concerts take place every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day where a lot of families attend and enjoy the space. Equating this decision to the decision to allow wine and beer at Minnehaha Falls and Lake Calhoun is unrealistic because those locations don’t have a band shell that is used nightly. This is very much a family space different than the Lake Calhoun and Minnehaha Falls locations. It is currently difficult for two-way traffic to navigate the pathway, and congestion will be increased with benches and planters installed along the pathway. There should be foot-by-foot details showing how these planters will fit and if it will actually work. Signs will not stop people from walking around with drinks. If the application is approved, he requested that a mandated formal hearing be held again on this proposal one year from today.

c) Brad Rowe, 2421 Simpson Street, Roseville, stated that he worked for the owner and ran the daily operations at Bread and Pickle. A petition with over 550 signatures from local residents in favor of the application had been submitted to the Clerk for the record. He receives requests from regular customers daily asking that the establishment serve beer and wine.

d) Arlene Fried, 1109 Xerxes Avenue South, spoke in opposition to the application noting that she was co-founder of the Park Watch organization. The Lake Harriet concession stand is on a prime piece of lakeshore real estate that is highly congested during the summer season, especially during evening and weekend concerts that can attract as many as 2,200 music lovers. The lakeshore plaza attracts parents with toddlers and kids in strollers, people walking dogs, and individuals who may be using wheel chairs or scooters, in addition to walkers and bikers. The Lake Harriet concession stand is different than any other in Minneapolis in that every summer night it has up to 2,200 people crowding into the surrounding area. Cluttering up the area with the required benches and planters will create barriers and congestion. The concession area is not large enough to safely accommodate the existing traffic and the expansive wine and beer garden being requested. She asked the Committee to respect Lake Harriet and its history for what it is: a public park. (Ms. Fried also submitted her comments in writing.)

e) Jenny Halloran (sp?), 4216 Queen Avenue South, spoke in opposition to the application. This is different than any other park in Minneapolis because of the concerts and programs that are held their every night of the week during the summer. It sends a message to kids that people can’t have fun without alcohol.

Written comments were also received and included in the public record.

Glidden moved approval of the application. The Park Board made a decision about how they want the property to be used. Changes were incorporated into the plan at the direction of City staff to insure that it met certain requirements. Staff will have a role in reviewing and evaluating the use of the space to insure that it continues to meet the requirements of the City of Minneapolis.

Hofstede requested that it be entered into the record that she had received a telephone call from a business owner commenting that he is feeling additional pressure on a variety of avenues such as food trucks and others competing with established restaurants.

Gordon, Schiff, Goodman, and Hofstede spoke in favor of the motion.

The Glidden motion to approve the application was adopted upon a voice vote.

Citizen Comments on Bread & Pickle Liquor License

Park Watch Comment: The items in the accompanying attachment represent citizen submissions to the City’s Regulatory Committee regarding the license for wine and beer at Bread & Pickle which was the subject of a public hearing on April 29, 2013. They are of public record and were obtained through a data request.

BreadandPickle_comments_4-29-13_mtg.pdf

Alcohol at Lake Harriet Likely Weeks Away

The following article by Eric Roper was published on the StarTribune Blog on April 29, 2013.  Parkwatch Comment: It is interesting to note that of the five individuals who spoke at the Public Hearing, only one was in support of the wine and beer license–and that individual was an employee of Bread & Pickle.  Of the individuals who submitted written comments earlier, the tally was six against and two for.  Also, it is important to note that individuals wanting wine or beer with their hotdog  or appetizer will not get it.  Wine and beer will be sold and served ONLY with a full meal–not with snacks and appetizers.

ALCOHOL AT LAKE HARRIET LIKELY WEEKS AWAY

Visitors to Lake Harriet will soon be able to enjoy a couple of beers with the summer music shows that draw people to the lake on summer evenings.

The City Council’s regulatory committee voted Monday to approve a wine and beer license for Bread & Pickle, the lake’s two-year-old eatery adjacent to the band shell. The action is subject to approval from the full council, expected on May 10.

Two other park eateries, Sea Salt at Minnehaha Falls and Tin Fish at Lake Calhoun, already serve alcohol. Owner Kim Bartmann said it will likely take between four and six weeks before they can start serving.

The plan requires the restaurant to install a series of benches and planters to designate where drinking is allowed (see diagram). Customers will need to order food to purchase alcohol. A staff report says Bartmann plans to have indoor seating for 25 people and outdoor seating for 108 people.

Bread & Pickle isn’t yet open for the summer season because of the extended cold weather. Bartmann said they plan to open by at least Mother’s Day.

The alcohol plan didn’t pass without criticism. Several people expressed concern during public testimony about congestion and the implication of more drinking in public parks.

“This area is going to be taken over by the drinking crowd. Period,” said Bob Carney, a perennial candidate for mayor and other offices.

“I fear that cluttering up the area with the required planters will create barriers and congestion for parents with kids in strollers, people walking dogs, and individuals who may be using wheelchairs or scooters,” said Arlene Fried, a founder of the watchdog group Park Watch.

The Park Board, which operates separately from the City Council, supported the application earlier this month in a 5 to 4 vote. In the process, they scaled back the area where alcohol would be allowed.

Council members who supported the plan Monday said they were respecting the Park Board’s autonomy.

“The public and the city of Minneapolis… has been very clear in saying that they want a public body that is responsible for making decisions about the parks system,” said council member Elizabeth Glidden, the committee chair.

“This is their decision to make,” said Council Member Lisa Goodman. “And we are not in a position to be overriding them on a close vote. That seems a little political to me.”

The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council supported the license application. An online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-allow-beer-wine-at-lake-harriets/ supporting alcohol at Bread & Pickle has 556 signatures.

Opposing Bread & Pickle's Application for a Wine and Beer License

The following concerns were expressed during the City’s Public Hearing on April 29, 2013 for Bread & Pickle’s application for a wine and beer license.

OPPOSING BREAD & PICKLE’S APPLICATION FOR A WINE AND BEER LICENSE

I am here today to express concerns about Bread & Pickle’s application for a wine and beer license at the Lake Harriet concession stand. I laud Kim Bartmann for all she has done with her concession stand at Lake Harriet, but I have serious reservations about her current proposal for a wine and beer license.

The Lake Harriet concession stand is on a prime piece of lake-shore real estate that is highly congested during the summer season, especially during the evening and weekend concerts that can attract as many as 2,200 music lovers. The lake-shore plaza is loved by many and attracts a variety of users–parents with toddlers and kids in strollers, people walking dogs, and individuals who may be using wheel chairs or scooters. The Lake Harriet concession stand is different than any other in Minneapolis in that every summer night, it has up to 2.200 people crowding into the surrounding area.

I was there recently to imagine what it would look like on a beautiful summer evening when it has been transformed into a wine and beer garden with the numerous planters on the perimeter as required by the laws governing wine and beer licenses.

I fear that cluttering up the area with the required planters will create barriers and congestion for parents with kids in strollers, people walking dogs, and individuals who may be using wheel chairs or scooters. I just don’t think that the Lake Harriet concessions area is large enough to safely accommodate the existing traffic AND the expansive wine and beer garden that Kim Bartmann is asking for.

The Lake Harriet concessions stand was never intended to be a wine and beer garden. Please respect Lake Harriet and its history for what it is–a public park.

Thank you.

Arlene M. Fried

Co-founder of Park Watch

http://www.mplsparkwatch.org

Lake Harriet is a regional park – Point of clarification

LAKE HARRIET IS A REGIONAL PARK–POINT OF CLARIFICATION

Lake Harriet is not just a city park. It is a regional park. Because Lake Harriet is a regional park, it is important that individuals who do not live in Minneapolis realize that they can speak about the Bread & Pickle Wine and Beer License at the Monday, April 29, 2013 Public Hearing.