Axios Twin Cities

May 20, 2021
It's Thursday!
- ⛈ More rain and storms are in the forecast today.
If you're opening this newsletter as soon as we send it, you'd better wait to fire up that lawn mower.
Today's newsletter is 913 words, a 3 1/2-minute read.
1 big thing: The pandemic's toll on our favorite movie theaters
The Riverview Theater is reopening, but many others won't. Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
Most of the megaplex movie theater chains have reopened after screens went dark in the Twin Cities, but many of our favorite small theaters have been slow to come back ... or worse, closed for good.
Driving the news: The landlord of the iconic Uptown Theater in Minneapolis this week filed to evict operator Landmark Theaters for nonpayment of rent, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- Landmark Theaters has also decided to permanently close its Edina 4 theater, according to a report last month from Indie Wire. An Edina city official confirmed to Axios that the theater won't reopen.
- And last year, local chain Mann Theaters decided to close its second-run Hopkins 6 theater.
State of play: Movie theaters are at the mercy of Hollywood to not only churn out more films, but also to stop sending those films directly to streaming services. Even with restrictions lifting, theaters need good new movies to bring in guests.
- That's been particularly hard for second-run theaters that have longer wait-times for films.
The good news: The historic Riverview Theater announced Tuesday it will reopen its south Minneapolis doors on May 28.
- The catch: The theater had to switch temporarily from a second-run model to new releases, starting with "A Quiet Place Part II."
- As a result, ticket prices will increase to $5 for children, seniors and all matinees. Evening adult admission will be $7.
Nick's quick take: Thank goodness we didn't lose this gem of a theater.
More good news: Mann reopened its Grandview Theater in St. Paul this week and went from three to seven days a week at Highland Theater.
Of note: Our attempts to reach Minneapolis' St. Anthony Main, which doesn't have showings scheduled, have been unsuccessful, but the theater previously told WCCO-TV that it was doing renovations and would reopen in April.
2. The Lunds & Byerlys model: Groceries and apartments collide
A new Lunds & Byerlys is opening today in South Minneapolis. Nick Halter/Axios
Lunds & Byerlys is opening its newest store today underneath 125 apartments just north of Lake Nokomis on Cedar Avenue.
State of play: It's just the latest Lunds store that's tied to a multifamily development, which is a model that gives the upscale grocer close proximity to people who can afford pricey apartment rents. (The Nokomis building's advertised rents are $1,600 to $2,100 for a one-bedroom unit.)
What's next: The Edina-based company is planning a store under apartments in St. Paul's Highland Bridge development that will open in 2022.
- Lunds is already building apartments next to its Penn Avenue Richfield store.
- And L&B has proposed another development with housing above a store on St. Paul's Grand Avenue, though that one is paused.
Of note: Kowalski's Markets has been planning stores below apartment projects, including at Rosedale Center and Southdale Center.
3. Lawn mowing etiquette


You should certainly wait until 8am to mow your lawn on the weekend, and you should probably wait until at least 9am if you care about your neighbors.
- If you want to be really considerate, hang on until 10am.
Driving the news: We got exactly 100 clear responses from readers when we asked how early is too early to mow on the weekends.
Here are some of your responses:
Early bird: "I would say that 7am is probably too early. But I also like the sound of a lawn mower and the smell of fresh-cut grass. So early lawn mowing wouldn't bother me. Those sounds mean 'Summer!'"
What about the dew?: "Prior to about 8am or so grass is thoroughly wet with dew and poses a clogging risk to your mower. The wet grass will also leave green tracks on the sidewalk and will scatter ugly green clumps across your lawn."
Night owl: "Any time before 10am is too early to mow. Some of us are night owls and others work night shifts."
Never: "It’s always too early to mow. Lawns are a terrible idea generally. But if you insist on a lawn and mowing it, do it no earlier than 10am and ideally with an electric lawnmower."
Depends on your mower: "If you have an electric mower, which is 90% quieter than gas, 6am is fine during the weekends."
Nick's next-door neighbor's response: "You know firsthand. When you've got a push reel, next door it's never too early."
Nick's take: I'm up by 6am with little kids, so you probably aren't going to wake me up with your lawnmower.
- But can we talk about leaf blowers? I'm not sure about banning them outright, but we need some limits on those headache machines.
4. Catch up quick: Edina golfer's big shot; Target's printing money
Derek Holmes has qualified for the PGA Championship. Photo: Maddie Meyer/PGA of America via Getty Images
⛳️ A 34-year-old Edina golf store manager sunk a clutch 25-foot putt to qualify for his first — and probably only — major golf tournament, the PGA Championship. (Star Tribune)
- Six-year-old Aniya Allen has died from a gunshot wound suffered Monday night in North Minneapolis. (MPR News)
🎯 The momentum keeps rolling for Target as the retailer posted a massive 23% increase in same-store sales in the first quarter. Its share price shot up 5%. (CNBC)
- Eleven years after Heidi Firkus was shot and killed in her St. Paul home, her husband has been arrested on suspicion of murder. (Pioneer Press)
5. Making the Minneapolis Jucy Lucy a thing
Business partners who grew up eating Matt's burgers (pictured) are bringing the Jucy Lucy to Denver. Photo: Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images
There's the Philly Cheesesteak, Chicago-style Deep Dish and the Coney Dog. Could the Minneapolis-style Jucy Lucy join the ranks of signature dishes with appeal beyond their home state?
Driving the news: Business partners Michelle McGlone and Nate Collis, who grew up eating at Matt's Bar, think so. They're opening Lucy’s Burger Bar in Denver, according to Businessden.
- Their signature item is a cheese-stuffed, "Minneapolis-style" Jucy Lucy (some spell it Juicy). Their website declares "You betcha it's juicy."
State of play: There are Jucy Lucys served in various places across the country and not all of them note the burger's origin city.
- But it's nice to see Minneapolis getting some love, since either Matt's or the nearby 5-8 Club invented the culinary item.
Of note: Collis is the former guitarist for Atmosphere.
Correction: In yesterday's newsletter we said Thrivent Financial would begin bringing employees back in June. That will actually begin July 1.
Thanks for reading. We'll catch you here tomorrow.
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