Midtown Global Market boosts local business

Benjamin Carter Grimes

Benjamin Carter Grimes

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Fresco's Pasta Bar

920 East Lake St., 112
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Category: Restaurant > Italian

Region: Powderhorn

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Sabbai Express

920 East Lake St., 114
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Category: Restaurant > Cambodian

Region: Powderhorn

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Details

Fresco's Pasta Bar: menu items $5-$10

Sabbai Cuisine: menu items $2-$9

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More About

• Danielle Gooderum
• Sothy Minh
• Mall of America
• Food and Cooking
• Eating Out

So in a way, becoming a vendor at the Midtown Global Market is a little like getting a book deal. The publisher, or in this case MGM, is the one taking the leap of faith in your idea. It takes a huge load off the shoulders of the vendor, but that also means you have to play by someone else's rules. "We have to abide by market hours, so it is hard that, when it's slow and we want to save on labor costs, we can't just close up for the day," says Gooderum. "Similarly, if we wanted to stay open later on a night when we might get a post-event rush or something like that, we can't." But she says the challenges are small by comparison to the benefits. "When I decided to go this route with my business, I really liked the idea that traffic would already be driven there and I'd have a built-in audience."

The market is a favorite for families and great for groups of co-workers looking for a bunch of options for lunch, but if there's one thing that would be sure to draw more visitors to MGM, it's the possibility of a beer garden. "That's something we are just in the very beginning discussion stages of with the board," says Letang. "I can't give any kind of time frame, but we understand that trying to get beer and wine sales going in the market would be great for many of our vendors."