When restaurateur Greg Awada threw his name into the mix of businesses vying for the vacant Eagle Street Grille space at West Seventh and Kellogg, he thought he had little chance of getting it over a national chain. To his surprise, he was awarded the lease for the coveted spot across from the Xcel Energy Center. Now he’s busy putting the final touches on the space so his restaurant can move there and reopen by Dec. 1. Not that they have far to go. Awada and wife Kristi Brunner have operated Zamboni’s restaurant in the building next door to their new space for 13 years. It’s known as a popular eatery for event-goers from the X looking to enjoy a hot slice of pizza or melty cheesesteak.
“The whole name of the game on West Seventh is to have enough space and seats to capture as much business on events as possible and we’ve never had that,” said Awada, who noted that the old pizzeria seated only about 40. They are retaining the old space and plan to eventually reopen it as a new concept.
Awada has a new partner in this venture: Tim Mahoney, who owns the Loon Café in Minneapolis and St. Paul and has about 35 years’ experience in the industry. Zamboni’s will now be able to seat 350 inside and 65 on the patio. Work has been done to accentuate the 150-year-old building’s brick walls and wooden floors, as well as make necessary repairs to aging infrastructure. Construction has included doubling the size of the kitchen and moving the bar to a more central location. Chili and some popular sandwiches from the Loon Café will be added to the menu, which boasts thin-crust pizzas, Philly cheesesteaks, gyros and more.
“We have a pizza called Rosemary the Italian Blonde and that’s been a ‘go to’ ever since we opened,” said Awada. “It’s a cream sauce with fresh garlic, sausage and roasted red peppers, and fresh rosemary on top.”
They’re considering adding live entertainment at some point.
“We have a license for it,” Awada said, “so I imagine we’ll do something but for now we’re just focusing on getting open and settling in before we add the whipped cream and cherry to the top.”
Awada has no shortage of experience in the restaurant industry. His family owned Awada’s on Plato for nearly 30 years and Awada’s Woodbury Grille for seven years. He started dishwashing and prepping food at his father’s restaurant, Bentley’s, in Colorado at age 11, and always planned to follow in his parents’ footsteps and one day own his own restaurant. He played collegiate hockey and earned the nickname “Zamboni” because of how often he fell and slid across the ice on his belly. He decided to lean into the joke and use that name for his restaurant. It’s fitting, since he’s located near the X, home ice to the Minnesota Wild.
The new Zamboni’s is located at 174 7th St. W. Hours are currently 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 3-9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, but will expand in the near future. For more information, call 651-225-2999.
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer