Minnesota is definitely a burger destination, with several great iterations around both the metro area and outstate (we’re looking at you King’s Place in Miesville).
In the Twin Cities, Red Cow has become a destination burger restaurant, and has racked up some big awards.
It’s been almost ten years since President and Owner of Red Cow, Luke Shimp, opened their first location near 50th and France in south Minneapolis. They have since added the North Loop spot near downtown Minneapolis, St. Paul, Uptown, and now they’re heading out of the Twin Cities for their first outstate location in Rochester. There is also a satellite location at MSP Airport.
Speaking with WCCO Radio’s Drivetime with DeRusha, Shimp says it’s an exciting time for them as they gear up for their fifth restaurant.
They’re expecting to open August 10.
“It's been very exciting and fun and challenging too, with some of the things that we've gone through the last two and a half years with the pandemic and then the other challenges that our cities have faced,” Shimp told Jason DeRusha. “But, all in all, it's been a great ride and we're approaching our tenth year and we're super excited. Guests still are coming in as much as they were in the past.
The group at Red Cow actually considered moving out of state for this expansion, and Shimp explained that they were looking at Denver, Colorado initially.
“We've always wanted to expand out of the market and we're thinking about Colorado,” Shimp explains. “And then, with the destination medical center initiative and everything that's happening in Rochester, a good friend of ours built an apartment building there. And it just seemed to be serendipitous to have this beautiful apartment building right across the street from St. Mary's Hospital with a fantastic patio opportunity right on Secon Street.”
There are several Minnesota groups that have expanded to Rochester in the last few years including a Pittsburgh Blue, Crave plus many of the locally based restaurants that have made Rochester now a foodie destination according to Shimp.
Another difference between what they do in the Twin Cities and what will happen on Rochester will be the days Red Cow is open – and closed.
“It's a different town,” Shimp begins. “We're going to be closed Sundays down there. We’re closed Mondays here, and we decided to be closed Sundays there because the Mayo Clinic draws so much traffic Monday through Saturday. But Sunday is one of the slower days of the town. So we're going to actually be closed on Sunday.”
Their new Red Cow will be located at 217 14th Avenue SW in Rochester. The 6,000 square-foot restaurant is part of the new Berkman Apartment complex and is scheduled to open August 10.
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