4:50 PM Friday, November 10, 2023
The owner of a new restaurant and bar with plans to open in a Brooklyn Park strip mall says they’ll serve “soul food with a twist.”
The Brooklyn Park Planning Commission recommended approval this week for PLUSH, a restaurant that plans to open in the shopping center at 8578 Edinburgh Centre Dr. The new venue would be near Sōke BBQ and Hotpot and Mi-Sant Bahn Mi Co.
“We’re going to be offering soul food, comfort food,” said owner Antony Thomas. “We have a chef who works a bunch of private events, he works with a bunch of the Minnesota Vikings. [He] does some catering for them. I want to say soul food, but it’s a little bit more than soul food.”
The Black-owned business also expects to serve beer, wine and cocktails.
PLUSH “will serve elevated soul food recipes based on traditional African-American dishes, drawing in diverse community members, and connecting neighbors,” the business wrote in its building permit application.
“The restaurant will be a gathering place that is inclusive of all backgrounds while highlighting African American cuisine along with other menu offerings. The restaurant will offer televised viewings of sporting events and a creative drink menu, which will further draw in diverse patrons,” the documents read.
Before the restaurant can open, it will need city approval of its conditional use permit and liquor license. The business expects to ask the Brooklyn Park City Council for approval on Nov. 27.