Two years ago, Marcus Brandt stood in his sunny yellow food truck, set up on Victory Memorial Parkway in north Minneapolis, and made a prediction about his most popular menu item.

“I could build a restaurant off of the Bodega Buddy,” he said at the time.

Now, he and his wife, Kelsey Brandt, are doing it.

The couple plans to open a brick-and-mortar Sandwich Club this November in the former Pickles Cafe and Emily’s F&M Cafe at 2124 44th Av. N., near Oliver Avenue, in Minneapolis’ Victory neighborhood (sandwichclubmpls.com).

The move gives Sandwich Club a permanent home after two summers on the go. The truck debuted in the Brandts’ own Victory neighborhood in 2024, followed by a residency at North Market last summer.

But “it’s been extremely difficult for us to catch traction and keep moving and popping up,” Marcus said. Finding a home where they live was always the plan.

The new restaurant’s menu will cycle through a Rolodex of about 20 sandwiches Marcus has developed over the years, he said. “It’s really going to be a greatest hits of things coming together.”

Some of his bestselling sandwiches come from “cultural collisions” the Brandts experienced on their travels, when they drove through 28 states in a RV and sought out local flavors wherever they landed. Marcus became interested in how a sandwich could introduce diners to a regional cuisine or an ingredient they might not otherwise encounter.

First among them is the Bodega Buddy, a Midwestern chef’s take on a New York chopped cheese. Other recurring hits include the Banh Boi, a mashup of a banh mi and a fried shrimp po’boy; and a butter chicken meatball sub.

For sides, look for Sandwich Club’s potato salad, plus a warm German potato salad, and possibly soup during the colder months. Kelsey’s Cake Club desserts will also join the menu. 

Tentative hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The restaurant will start with about 24 seats, plus counter stools. They have decided against serving alcohol and may add breakfast and a patio later.

The couple considered several properties but were committed to opening in the Victory or Camden neighborhoods. The spot they chose, which stood for decades as a family diner, is visible from their back step, across the street from their church and near their daughter’s school.

“That was the goal,” Kelsey said. “It feels like home. I mean, it is home.”

For Marcus, opening a sandwich shop brings him back to the kind of place where his career began. When he was 15, his family bought a deli , and it became his first job.

After culinary school, he focused more on fine dining, with positions at the Kenwood, Pizzeria Lola, Earl Giles and Creekside Supper Club.

“I always imagined at this point in my life I’d be opening a fine dining restaurant, and I think it’s kind of funny how you return to your roots sometimes,” he said. “The sandwich thing has been a funny rewind of something I never thought would happen.”

The Brandts are raising money to help cover startup costs. Marcus said they are about halfway toward a $44,000 goal through founding memberships, merchandise sales and other contributions.

They also operate a lunch catering program at a school in Maple Grove, where about 300 children were fed each weekday, something they plan to continue after the restaurant opens.

“That gives us summers off, which has kind of bloomed into feeding our neighborhood,” Marcus said.

Travail flips starry bar to an Italian restaurant

After a brief closure and remodel, Travail Collective is ready to open Stelline Italian Kitchen Thursday . The new restaurant in Northeast replaces the former Stargazer bar with a menu of fresh pastas, a growing part of the restaurant group since it took over Italian Eatery in 2025. The group also operates an Italian restaurant stand inside Graze Food Hall.

At Stelline, the menu will feature small shared plates, classic pastas and a handful of mains like chicken piccata. Notably for the neighborhood, there’s also a small kids menu that offers buttered noodles and chicken nuggets. Once open, it will serve dinner seven days a week; reservations are available now.
1304 NE 2nd S., Mpls., stellineitaliankitchen.com

Midway Diner brings throwback comfort

There’s a new diner era serving breakfast and dinner in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood. The aptly named Midway Diner is part of the United Village development near Allianz Field.

Initial hours are breakfast and lunch with an Americana menu featuring country fried steak, quiche, lemon ricotta pancakes and more for $15 or less. Eventually, the menu will expand into dinner and offer a full bar. It’s open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with nighttime hours coming Monday.
445 Simpson St., St. Paul, thedinermidway.com Laune Bread reopens after a 6-week break

Cofounders and owners Chris MacLeod and Tiff Ri will reopen Laune Bread Thursday after a six-week hiatus to recalibrate the business. Known for using locally sourced grains to produce seasonal, naturally leavened breads, pastries and cookies inspired by European and New American baking traditions, the bakery will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
3605 E. Lake St., Mpls.; launebread.com

National bagel chain coming to North Loop

PopUp Bagels has big plans for Minnesota, and its first location will open in the North Loop’s Saxon building in October. The storefront is part of an aggressive expansion plan for the national bagel chain from business partners Dan D’Aquisto and Alex Smereczniak, who together expect to open 10 PopUp Bagel stores across the Midwest. The company was founded in Connecticut in 2020 and found popularity for its hot bagels that are supposed to be eaten by ripping and dragging through the schmear — the “grip, rip and dip experience.” Franchises have since spread across the country.
107 3rd Av. N., Mpls., popupbagels.com

Parisian gelato is on the way to Mall of America

Amorino, the Parisian brand known for its rose petal-shaped gelatos, is coming to the Mall of America. The gelato shop is expected to open within the next month on the north end of the first floor, according to a mall spokesperson. This will be the first Minnesota location.

North Garden, 2131 Lindau Lane, Bloomington, amorino. com

Worker-owned cafe ends regular business hours

Last weekend, Seward Cafe invited friends and neighbors in for one more breakfast before closing the restaurant for regular service. The worker-run restaurant had been honest about the challenges facing the business.

In a farewell on Instagram, they shared, “We are the oldest worker-run restaurant in the country, a community-driven collective that operates essentially as a nonprofit. We provide free meals to people who need it, use our space to host shows, open mics, and community events, and we absolutely love every minute of it. But the past few years it has gotten harder. ... We have hit a point where we need to think about our future, past fundraising year after year for property taxes.”

Going forward the space will continue to host music and community events. Follow @ SewardShows for updates.

2129 E. Franklin Av., Mpls., sewardcafe.com