Minneapolis park vendors rebound in 2021

Business for food vendors in Minneapolis parks rebounded last year after a major pandemic-driven drop in 2020.

Why it matters: Park restaurant season is quickly approaching. The most popular, Sea Salt Eatery, is planning an April 22 opening.

Driving the news: Axios obtained annual revenue numbers for vendors from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.

• Bread & Pickle at Lake Harriet reported $1.4 million in sales, which beat its pre-pandemic summer of 2019 by 10%.
• Sea Salt reported $3.4 million in sales, almost the same as 2019.

Meanwhile, Owamni had a massive debut at the new Water Works park next to St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis.

• The Indigenous food restaurant didn't open until July and is only serving dinner five nights a week. Yet it still posted $1.7 million in revenue.

Yes, but: Sandcastle at Lake Nokomis had another down year, with $483,000 in sales — which is 37% less than it did in 2019.

• Sandcastle limited the days it offered its full menu last summer. It also closed Sept. 6, a month ahead of Bread & Pickle and Sea Salt.
• Its contract with the Park Board ends in February. A spokesperson for the Park Board said officials will issue a request for proposals later this year for the building on the northwest side of the lake.

Of note: Sandcastle owners could not be reached for comment.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Owamni is an Indigenous food restaurant, not ingenuous.