Minneapolis taco hotspot Centro is expanding to Eat Street

Centro, the popular northeast Minneapolis taco and margarita restaurant from owners Jami Olson and chef Jose Alarcon, is adding a second location and making big plans for future expansion, which includes St. Paul.

First up is moving into the former Wedge Table (2412 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.). The onetime hub for the Wedge co-op will now function as a restaurant, Centro's centralized catering kitchen and a launchpad for what Olson said she hopes will be even more locations.

"It's always been part of the bigger picture — to grow," she said. "The pandemic gave us a lot of time to think about things and plan the next move." The next move is more: more tacos, more access to tacos, more patio space and even more margaritas.

The new 15,000-square-foot location, which will open later this year, includes a new restaurant on Eat Street, an elevated outdoor patio and an 8,000-square-foot production facility. The additional room allows Centro to increase its catering offerings — which will include the ability to add those margaritas — something they've only been doing in a limited capacity. Plus, there will be plenty of space for taco production. That means delivery is coming, too: Third-party apps will be able to pick up and bring nopales tacos and breakfast burritos to your doorstep.

And that's just part of the plans from Olson, Alarcon, pastry chef Ngia Xiong and the whole Centro team. There's still the possibility of retail salsas and fresh tortillas.

In the mornings, the restaurant will take a page from Centro's Northeast sister business Vivir and serve Xiong's pastries, coffee and its popular breakfast burrito. Other foods that were part of a limited run, like the Centro crunch (formerly munchwrap), are returning to the menu full time. And later in the day, the full bar will be in full swing with its deep agave spirit selection.

Centro (1414 NE. Quincy St., Mpls., centrompls.com) was born as a part of Popol Vuh, the short-lived Mexican fine-dining restaurant that used to live alongside it. The original plan from Olson and Alarcon had been to offer fine dining with the taco shop coming along for the ride. In the end, it was the tacos that drew people in. Popol Vuh closed in 2020, and the space became Vivir, a breakfast/lunch cafe with a market and a specialized tequila tasting room.

Now the best of all worlds will be in one Eat Street place, which is currently under construction. Shea Design will again bring the vibrant colors and good-time vibes into the space.

Progress is moving quickly enough that Olson is simultaneously planning the next phase for Centro: St. Paul. She said she has looked at several properties and expects to expand yet again later this year. We can expect to hear more on that plan sometime in the fall.

"My goal is to try to open more," Olson said. "To grow the brand and see how each community absorbs it."