Psst. Hey, North Loopers. NOLO’s Kitchen & Bar has some exciting news to share. Back by popular demand, its newly renovated Rooftop Bar will open mid to late summer for the ultimate open-air experience.
“We are very happy for the relaunch,” co-owner Marty Collins says. “Our customers loved the rooftop so much and were disappointed when we had to close to rezone.”
NOLO’s Kitchen & Bar, located in the historic Maytag Company building, opened almost six years ago. It specializes in serving a straightforward menu of pasta with handmade noodles, burgers and other modernized American comfort foods. Think classic neighborhood tavern with a refined twist.
Owners Brett Johnson, Marty Collins and Peter Hoff have all been in the business of creating tasty food for years and after a chance meeting, decided to join forces.
“We all met, and the rest was history,” Marty says.
A few years after NOLO’s opened, the Rooftop Bar was created in response to COVID-19.
“We wanted a space people felt more comfortable in with fresh air,” Marty says. “It was a way for people to not be crammed together in an enclosed space. We had a temporary permit from the city and the go-ahead from our landlord, so we started it in 2020.”
Peter adds, “It was a fun first year. We had rolly bar carts for [canned beverages.] Our servers [grabbed] crafted cocktails and food from downstairs.”
The Rooftop Bar started operating the same way in 2021, but after a few months, they had to shut down due to zoning problems.
“The fire marshall told us we weren’t actually zoned properly for serving liquor and food on the roof,” Marty says. “We needed to change our classification and essentially start from scratch for city applications.”
The team decided to take this as an opportunity to upgrade the space. “We are adding lounges, restrooms, and tables and chairs to fit well over 150 people. A full bar is also being constructed, so servers only need to grab the food from downstairs. It’s going to be a fun atmosphere for people to hang and relax from daily stressors.”
Peter adds, “As for the food menu, we are offering different specials throughout the summer including happy hour deals, surf and turf, backyard bbq, oysters and a slushie machine for cocktails. We will serve both lunch and dinner up there seven days a week.”
The Rooftop Bar is expected to be fully operational by mid to late summer, making it the perfect spot to grab a drink and beat the heat.
“We like to have fun here and the new Rooftop Bar is going to be epic,” Peter says. “Check our website to keep up with an official opening date. We can’t wait.”
515 Washington Ave N. Ste 100, Minneapolis | (612) 800-6033 | noloskitchen.com
