Closing, then reopening
Fans of the Rainforest Cafe, listen up: The mega dining attraction at the Mall of America (952-854-7500, www.rainforestcafe.com) is closing.
Temporarily.
The stroller magnet is at the end of its first-floor lease and is relocating upstairs to a third-floor spot near its corporate cousin, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Both restaurants are part of Houston-based Landry's Inc., which operates more than 450 restaurant properties.
The last day at the old location is Jan. 18. Construction begins on the new location this month, with a target opening date of fall 2015.
"We were presented with the opportunity to relocate Rainforest Cafe to a prime location within the Mall of America," said Keith Beitler, COO of Rainforest Cafe, in a statement.
There's a bit of nostalgia involved with the change. The Mall of America location was the eatertainery's prototype (there are now 27 outlets in 12 states and five countries) and was the creation of local entrepreneur Steve Schussler. Landry purchased the Rainforest Cafe chain in 2000 for $75 million.
Save the date
Those waiting for an opening date at Sassy Spoon (5011 34th Av. S., Mpls., www.sassyspoon truck.com), the brick-and-mortar version of the food truck by the same name (complete with its own broth bar), jot this down: Dinner service begins Feb. 4.
