Ties Lounge & Rooftop to open on Nicollet Mall in February

A big and high-profile bar and restaurant space on Nicollet Mall is coming back to life this spring with new operators.

Driving the news: Ties Lounge & Rooftop is opening next month at 921 Nicollet Ave., the four-story, 15,000-square-foot building that formerly housed Randle’s and Rojo Mexican Grill.

Why it matters: It's the latest effort to reanimate a downtown Minneapolis — and particularly Nicollet Mall — that is struggling to recover from the pandemic as most of its major employers haven't brought their workers back to the office.

Flashback: The building has been vacant since 2019 after a former operator opened and closed three restaurants in the space in a span of three years.

Details: Three events promoters are now operating the space, with plans for a basement dance floor, mezzanine lounge and large rooftop patio.

• Joey Meatballs owner Joshua Hedquist will run a kitchen serving Italian food on the first floor.

What they're saying: "People have to give downtown a chance again. It's part of our community," co-owner Gene Sanguma told Axios. "We can bring back unity through entertainment — out with the old, in with the new."

Background: Sanguma, 25, Tommy Joyce, 25, and Stevie Moman, 26, previously ran Minneapolis Ties, promoting events at popular downtown Minneapolis bars like Crave, Union Rooftop and Pourhouse.

• The three signed a four-year lease for the building in August without investor backing, Sanguma said.

What's next: A grand opening will be held mid-February.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a revision from Ties Lounge & Rooftop operators about the timing of the restaurant's grand opening.