New Bohemia may be all about the wurst, but the spot specializing in sausages and local craft beer has gone over so well that a rapid expansion is underway.
Next up: the addition of Eagan and Uptown locations in the next few weeks.
In Eagan, a New Bohemia is going into the former Old Chicago space on Town Center Drive near Yankee Doodle Drive. When the spot opens March 7, expect two patios to be part of the space — an expanded back patio as well as a new one added to the front of the restaurant.
A New Bohemia is also opening soon in the Uptown neighborhood. The Minneapolis spot is slated to roll out the carpet Feb. 28 in the former Louie’s Wine Dive (800 Lake St. W.) on the corner of Aldrich Avenue and Lake Street.
The Uptown hub will be bicycle-friendly, with bike stations for things like fixing a flat tire and filling tires with air.
“We’re partnering with some local bike shops to have free tune-ups for bikes on weekends,” said Brian Ingram, chief operating officer of New Bohemia, which opened its original location on East Hennepin Avenue on the border of Northeast Minneapolis. “We don’t want to be thought of as a chain. We’re trying to make sure each of the locations has their own personality.”
At the same time, some consistent themes can be found throughout the various locations. The menu continues to be heavy on brats, from classic to off-the-beaten-path varieties such as smoked antelope. The restaurant’s popular trivia nights will also be on the roster at the new locations.
Following its Minneapolis debut in 2012, New Bohemia has since expanded to locations in Golden Valley and Mankato, which opened last month. And there’s more to come after the Eagan and Uptown spots.
“We’d like to get to 12 stores by the end of the year,” Ingram said. “We’ve been looking at places like Eden Prairie and Woodbury. We’ll probably open one in Wisconsin as well.”