From tortas to bánh mi, a mini-wave of new restaurants opening in Roseville

When a trio of siblings took over a KFC in Brooklyn Park in 2018, they didn't know they'd become fast-food warriors three years later.

This spring, the team behind Mi-Sant Bahn Mi Co. will make the leap to a second locale in Roseville, this time in a remade former Bakers Square.

They signed the paperwork on the place a month before COVID hit, but had an out when it was clear the pandemic would greatly impact the restaurant industry. A developer offered to take the new site off their hands, with the caveat that they'd be putting in two fast-food restaurants in its place.

"We just didn't feel right giving it up," said Linh Nguyen, who co-owns Mi-Sant with her family. "We just said, 'You know, the last thing we need is more fast food.' Especially since the small mom-and-pop authentic restaurants are the ones that are suffering the most. We just wanted to do our part and keep anything that's authentic around."

It was a question that was bigger than the bánh mì sandwiches Mi-Sant is known for.

"I just think about what I want future generations to be able to enjoy, and fast food is not what I want to see," Nguyen said.

In that vein, Mi-Sant is even transforming the idea of the fast food drive-through.

"It really saved us during COVID," she said. "People love to be able to buy a bánh mì at a drive-through."

The new Roseville restaurant, named Mi-Sant Kitchen & Bakery, won't have a drive-through, but it will have those great sandwiches, French croissants and baguettes, noodles and other dishes found at the first. And with around twice the square footage, it'll give the chefs — Nguyen and her sister — a chance to expand the menu into pho and more entrees in a space that will eventually allow for dining in.

And Roseville will be the better for it. Mi-Sant is just one in a mini-wave of restaurant openings the suburb can celebrate.

La Tapatia moved in January to 2730 N. Snelling Av. (651-253-6175, lafamiliatapatia.com). Abraham Ponce Delgadillo and his mother, head chef Martha Ponce, are cooking up burritos, tacos and tortas in three styles (street, Cali or Tejano).

Another recent opening is a two-for-one. High Pines Brewing Co. has taken over Joe's Crab Shack (2704 N. Snelling Av., 651-200-3581, highpinesbrewing.com). In the kitchen? The Tipsy Steer, which is in expansion mode (there's one in Blaine, and a second location opened in south Minneapolis late last year). Brick-oven pizza, burgers, tacos, salads and shakes are their signatures, available now for dine-in, with delivery and to-go coming soon. tipsysteer.com/roseville.