What started out as a family discussion around the kitchen table has grown into a succession of successful restaurants through the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. It’s no wonder – Red Cow has won multiple awards for its burgers, bars and cocktails.
Experienced restaurateurs Luke Shimp and wife Tracy Bachul have passed down their knowledge and love for the industry to their sons Michael and Peter Giacomini. (Luke has twice been named Restaurateur of the Year by the Minnesota Restaurant Association and has also been voted Best Restaurateur with the Charlie Awards, a local peer based award.)
The family of four opened their first Red Cow at 50th & France in 2013, and this past October, just opened their sixth in Wayzata. “It's been an up and coming market, and there's other really good restaurants that have opened up in that area,” says Michael. “There always seems to be a ton of foot traffic down there, which is one of the criteria we have for choosing a restaurant location.” Other locations include Saint Paul, Uptown, North Loop, and Rochester.
The secrets to their success? “We're able to use really high quality ingredients while keeping it affordable,” explains Michael. “We also have a great variety of food while maintaining our core competency of burgers.”
One of these, the Barcelona burger, includes thinly sliced prosciutto de Parma, Manchego cheese, piquillo peppers and smoked pepper aioli. The family created a proprietary burger blend and seasoning mixture to create the most flavorful meat. It’s just mouthwatering, and like their other burgers, keeps people coming back again and again.
“Additionally, to set ourselves apart, we say, we are a 21st century tavern,” he says. “To us, that means that we serve elevated west coast inspired fare, but it also means that we have a fantastic beverage program.”
So, in addition to the burgers, sandwiches, salads and shareables, Red Cow focuses on 30 fine wines by-the-glass, curated cocktails, a wide variety of craft beer and spirit-free beverages. “A lot of times you'll go to restaurants and they'll do two really good, or one really good, but we do them all great,” says Michael. “Our beverage director is constantly enhancing our drink menu – at least four times a year.”
Red Cow restaurants also have a wine preservation system. “This preservation system allows us to have 30 wines by-the-glass, properly preserved (not oxidized), so they are fresh and served at proper cellar temperature.” When it comes to beer, there are 36 craft beers on tap alone.
While the demand for their burgers has never waned (80% of their customers still order a burger), they like to change up or enhance their other offerings from time to time to keep things new and exciting. “We’re focusing on providing fresh, light, west coast/southern California fare,” says Michael. “We brought lettuce wraps back into popularity, along with coconut shrimp, tempura veggies and a delicious Baja chicken bowl – they are all really, really great and align with our culinary vision.”
The taverns are also fun gathering places for Happy Hour. Customers can find a variety of appetizers such as Truffle Fries, Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Sliders, Ahi Tuna Crisps, and Chips and Dip. “The most popular cocktails we offer during Happy Hour are our trio of margaritas – a Strawberry Fresno, a Hibiscus and an Original,” he says.
Every decision is a family affair. “Luke does a ton of research on what the trends are and what people are eating, specifically on the west and east coasts, because it typically takes a couple of years for those trends to come to us,” says Michael. “Of course, we always need my mom's input to make sure it's light, bright, and fresh. My brother and I are viewed as your typical diners. So you've got the researcher, you've got the very experienced mother and then you have us, the diners, so we try to make sure it fits all four branches.”
In addition to Red Cow, the family also launched Red Rabbit, an Italian restaurant, in 2016, which has been named one of the top 50 independent restaurants in America. It has two locations – one in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul.
Giving back to the community is a core principle of both restaurants. Their InspiRED Giving program supports local charities and youth sports teams, and is very important to the family and their staff.
To find out more, and to see the entire menus, go to RedCowMN.com and RedRabbitMN.com.