The restaurateurs vying for Lake Nokomis contract

Several Twin Cities restaurateurs are trying to win the contract to handle food and beverage service at the Lake Nokomis concessions building.

Flashback: Sandcastle announced it won't return next summer, ending its 10-year run at the coveted spot next to Lake Nokomis Beach.

Why it matters: Park food stands are highly popular and can mean big bucks for vendors.

• Sandcastle's 2019 revenue was $767,000 and other vendors at park properties each do over $1 million in sales, including Sea Salt, which reported $3.4 million last year.

Who's in the running: Axios obtained a list of restaurateurs through a Park Board data practices request, though the Park Board declined to provide anything more than individual names.

Yes, but: We did some digging and confirmed a handful of restaurateurs and their plans.

• Jon Wipfli, the owner of the buzzed-about Animales Barbeque truck, is teaming up with Katie Romanski, the owner of MN Nice Cream, Wipfli confirmed. They proposed a combo of barbecue and ice cream.
• Tii Cup Boba & Taiwanese Street Food, which has several Twin Cities locations, also submitted a proposal, owner Thuy Linh Nguyen confirmed.
• The owners of Unleashed Hounds & Hops in Minneapolis want to partner with a local ice cream company to operate a full service ice cream shop to go along with craft bar fare similar to Unleashed Hounds. The facility would be dog friendly, but won't be an off-leash dog park like Unleashed, co-owner Sam Carter tells Axios.

Yes, and: Other proposals were submitted by the owners of Jerk Station, a Minneapolis ghost kitchen; Blarney Pub & Grill in Minneapolis; Solomon’s Bakery of New Brighton; and by the GM of Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Falls.

• None of them could be reached by Axios for comment.
• Axios could not confirm the backgrounds of several additional applicants.

What's ahead: Staff will present proposals to the Park Board in the fall, a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board spokesperson told Axios.

MPRB has previously said it wants to execute a contract by Sept. 30 and have the facility available to the new vendor by Jan. 1, with an Apr. 15, 2023 opening.