ST PAUL, Minn. — Lowertown businesses are trying new things to attract people to downtown St. Paul, as more restaurants close their doors.
“We’re constantly looking at new specials, different happy hours, adding happy hours just to continue to attract people,” said Jeff Kaster, who has owned The Bulldog for 15 years.
Annie Rose, the owner at Lost Fox, said they’re expanding their food options to meet the changing demands of the neighborhood.
“Some things that we’ve been doing as people are coming back to work more, we started a lunch program. We’ve had sandwiches since we opened, but now we have a full kitchen every day. We have a bartender every day,” she said.
Kaster said inflation, remote work and issues with the homeless have impacted business.
“Generally speaking, foot traffic is down. When the St. Paul Saints are playing it’s great," Kaster said. "It’s the days when they’re not playing and the flex workers are remote, it’s hard to predict."
He said unpredictability is a constant challenge. He said one week they’ll have a busy Wednesday, and then it’ll be quiet seven days later.
“We don’t have that consistent baseline we once did,” he said. “Our lunch business is down substantial.”
Several restaurants have closed in downtown St. Paul and the Lowertown neighborhood within the past few months.
“We sort of new this moment was coming; the culture has changed. We could see these shifts in the market coming. We went to work and created a downtown investment strategy that is kind of our blueprint of how we grow into the future,” said Joe Spencer, president of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance.
He said restaurants and the hospitality industry are important to the success of downtowns. It’s why his team is working to increase downtown St. Paul’s population, which will help restaurants in Lowertown.
“There’s a lot of good bones here, and I’m pretty confident as we kind of make our way through these transitions, new things will come up in their face,” Spencer said.
The most recent restaurant closure is Kaster’s neighbor, Barrio. The restaurant closed on Sept. 6 after 15 years.
“It certainly hurts. I think critical mass is key to any neighborhood, you know, multiple different businesses that attract all sorts of people,” Kaster said.
He said The Bulldog is the last restaurant left on their block, and one of the few restaurants opened on Monday nights.
“Barrio was there for 15 years. It was like a staple,” Rose said.
Rose’s restaurant is right next to the Light Rail, but she doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic because of safety concerns on the Light Rail.
“It’s not where it should be in my open, so we don’t get a lot of foot traffic,” Rose said.
She said the community has changed over the years, and they’re trying to adapt to those changes. While it’s said to see some businesses go, it also opens a door for someone new to step in.
“I think it’s time to give people who maybe wouldn’t have the opportunity to own their own business to own their own business,” she said.
Rose is planning to start a new program called Positively 4th Street to promote businesses on her street.
“I love Lowertown because it’s like a small town inside of a big city,” she said.
The love she has for Lowertown is the same love Kaster has for the community. They both believe the area can thrive
“It’s a great neighborhood,” Kaster said.