Duluth's Zeitgeist Arts Cafe reopens with pop-ups in tow

DULUTH – The Zeitgeist Arts Cafe in downtown Duluth is reopening its bar and allowing limited indoor dining after closing for several months due to the pandemic.

While not a full reopening, it's the first movement toward bringing customers back inside the nonprofit's restaurant space since it closed at the end of August.

Two pop-up restaurants are now operating in the Zeitgeist kitchen on Superior Street in downtown Duluth while the in-house restaurant at the arts and theater complex remains closed.

Gumbo Boi started serving Cajun and Creole dishes to go in October and offers pickup orders Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

HotBox Duluth is serving up "kids meals for adults" starting next week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Zeitgeist will start serving beer and wine and allowing socially distanced dining during Friday's Gumbo Boi pickup hours from 3 to 7 p.m. for now.

"Beer and wine will be available with curbside pickup orders, or folks can dine at a socially distanced table in the bar or atrium for the first time since August," Zeitgeist said in a news release this week. "New Orleans-inspired cocktails will be available for those who dine in-house."

Zeitgeist is one of the few area restaurants that had an extended closure due to the pandemic even as bars and eateries closed by the dozens in larger metro areas. Canal Park Brewing remains closed for the time being, and Mike's Western Cafe closed its doors in Lincoln Park last fall with the hopes of finding a new location eventually.

Brooks Johnson • 218-491-6496