South Minneapolis favorite Cafe Maude closing, restaurateur Kim Bartmann moving in

After a decade in business, south Minneapolis' Cafe Maude is preparing to close.

The Armatage neighborhood restaurant, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this summer, will shutter at the end of July.

But the next phase for the space at 5411 Penn. Av. S. is already in the works.

Kim Bartmann, the Twin Cities restaurateur who owns Barbette, Red Stag Supper Club and several other eateries around town, will take over the space, and plans to debut a new concept this fall.

"I've done some consulting at Maude and so I was the obvious person to talk to when it was time to think about moving on," she said. "I'm really excited to be doing a project in that neighborhood."

For the new iteration, Bartmann will be partnering with chef Asher Miller, who spent six years at the Walker Art Center, working his way up to executive chef for Wolfgang Puck and most recently ran celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern's food truck business.

Bartmann doesn't yet have a name for the revamp or specifics on the ultimate menu, but she said she and Miller plan to emphasize the wood-fired grill and neighborhood feel, and will incorporate a "robust takeout and delivery program with family-style meals." They'll also ramp up the tap beer offerings and wine list, and complete a "refresh" of the interior space.

"I'm going to come up with a concept that really works for Asher," Bartmann said. "He lives in the neighborhood. I'm going to be kind of acting like the management company and doing the fun stuff up front but it will really be his restaurant and he'll be there day to day."

Bartmann said she expects a September debut.