A year after closure of beloved Richfield café, residents have more questions than answers

Just over a year after the closure of Richfield restaurant Local Roots, residents are still asking what happened to the café that became a beloved community space during its four-year run.

An information vacuum has driven people to post questions and rumors in local Facebook groups and approach former owner Courtney Norgaard to lament the large, empty storefront and ask if she'll reopen.

"I know there are a lot of people that have had ideas for the space," Norgaard said. "But the cost of rent in Richfield and in the metro area — it's prohibitive for a lot of small business owners."

The owners of Richfield Floral and Gardens, which occupied the storefront before Local Roots, sold the restaurant building to a limited-liability company registered in Eden Prairie in November 2021 for $825,000, with the intent to move Vikings bar Erik the Red into the Local Roots space.

Norgaard wanted to buy the building, but said she could not make a competitive offer. So when her lease ended in April 2022, that was the end.

Unable to find another restaurant space she could afford, Norgaard took a job at an assisted living facility. She has been happy to have benefits and better work-life balance. Restaurant life was stressful, especially through the pandemic, she said. But she misses her regulars.

"I miss getting up early in the morning and cooking people breakfast. Knowing how they want their eggs, what kind of latte people want," she said. And she was proud of the family-friendly atmosphere she cultivated. "All the kids crawling around on the floor — you're delivering pancakes, stepping over a toddler."

Young parents like Lauren Chadare loved having a space where they could bring their children to play while the adults had a cup of coffee or a glass of wine together.

"It made a name for itself being family-friendly and community-focused," Chadare said. "And the food and drinks were really good."

Some residents are just fine with Starbucks or Caribou. But the hunger for a local coffee shop also speaks to Richfield's changing population, especially as young, white-collar families buy houses there — often after spending their young adult years in south Minneapolis hanging out at a neighborhood coffee spot.

"Some of that local vibe is not here," Chadare said.

She said she was sad to see the restaurant close and didn't love the idea of a rowdy sports bar moving in. A flurry of announcements in late 2021 and early 2022 had trumpeted Erik the Red's arrival, but the new restaurant never materialized. Owner Erik Forsberg did not respond to a request for comment.

Like many other community members, Chadare tried to figure out what was going to happen to the space. Unsure where to find updates, she kept up with the local Facebook groups, where questions about Local Roots have tended to inspire involved comment threads with more questions than answers.

"I tried to Google this and could not find an update," one post read. "Any update on the Local Roots [to] Erik the Red's transition?" another resident posted. "Does anyone know why the other restaurant didn't open in its place?" a poster asked.

"I've heard rumors about what will happen. I've also heard rumors nothing will happen," Chadare said. "I don't know what's accurate and what's true."

Last month, Richfield's planning commission approved an optometrist's application to convert the former Local Roots space. No one attended the public hearing, though commission member Ben Surma noted that it had been the site of the much-loved café.

The City Council approved the optometrist's application on Tuesday.

Resident Scott Hvizdos said other restaurants in Richfield are starting to take on the role of community hub, notably El Tejaban Mexican Grill on Nicollet Avenue and 66th Street, but said people miss Local Roots. It had been a natural place to meet for the Richfield Foundation, for which Hvizdos is on the volunteer board, a place to have long discussions without feeling like you had to hurry and let someone else have your table.

"Local Roots really did help foster those connections, even during the pandemic," with its large patio space that let people meet face-to-face, he said.

It's been painful to read about people missing Local Roots, Norgaard said, but she values the connections she built over her years as a Richfield business owner.

"I can't say enough good things about the community and how supportive they were of us."