Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting down Southview Boulevard isn’t part of your imagination. No, it’s coming from Black Sheep Coffee, which closed last May but is slated to reopen in April under new ownership. In recent weeks the owner and manager have been entrenched in the kitchen, testing new equipment and preparing the space to welcome people back.
The new owner is Jason Frankot, who has operated his All State Insurance agency across the street from Black Sheep for five years. For 10 years before that, his agency was located in Cottage Grove, and even then he made a lunch trip daily to the cafe.
“I stopped at Black Sheep every day twice a day for the last 14 or 15 years,” said Frankot, who was born and raised in South St. Paul and still lives here with his wife Alissa, also a South St. Paul native. “It wasn’t just a store or café [for me]. There were a lot of community discussions there and it was a place people could go to do homework or just unwind and relax for a little bit…. We’re trying to bring all that back but have it be quicker [service] and updated.”
Black Sheep Coffee was founded 15 years ago by Kathy Middlecamp and had been largely managed by her son Peter, who is staying on in that role. Frankot knew Kathy was looking to retire, and when he saw a “For Sale” sign in the window, he immediately called and said he’d buy not only the building but the entire business. It took about seven months to close on the deal, but he finally got the keys at the end of November. Since then, he’s been diligently working to restore the building.
“At first we’ll probably be open Friday through Sunday to work out the kinks and then we’ll ramp up from there,” said Frankot.
Most of the major projects involved plumbing, electrical and drywall installation, but the entire 45-seat public area has been refreshed as well. Improvements included restoring the original walnut floors, adding new lighting, decor and a fresh coat of paint, and mounting electronic menus that show what’s in stock. The entire water filtration system was also replaced.
Frankot also upgraded the kitchen with new equipment from Germany. Now, they can grind beans in four seconds where it used to take 27, and the upgraded machines better brings out each coffee beans’ unique flavor profile, he said. Peter Middlecamp remains the coffee connoisseur.
“We’ll have all the drinks and baked goods and everything we’ve had in the past,” said Frankot. “It will be a few weeks until we offer food but it will probably come in a big way. We definitely want to expand and have more things than were here prior.” New sandwiches, salads and soups may be in the pipeline and Frankot said he’ll apply for a license to sell beer and wine. The shop will also have its coffee beans for sale, and people will be able to order directly through their website.
Frankot is also thinking about occasionally bringing in sous chefs from other restaurants to cook for specialty dinner events, like a French cuisine or steakhouse night, and he wants to be part of the Kaposia Days and On the Road Again celebrations.
“Not just by being open but by shutting the parking lot down and having a band or doing an outdoor wine or coffee tasting,” he said.
The bluegrass band that formerly performed in the parking lot every Saturday in the summer is expected to return in some capacity, and acoustic musicians may also occasionally perform inside.
Frankot said he never drank coffee until his first child was born and that he only had to try Black Sheep once before becoming a regular. The drink that kept him hooked for 15 years is the caramel latte. For more information, visit blacksheepcoffee.com.
<<< Back to Home
