Sep 13, 2022, 9:56pm CDT
Marquise Walker
The restaurant spaces previously occupied by Hammer & Sickle, left, and The Fremont in Uptown are transitioning into new concepts created by a new management team. Two new concepts are moving into adjacent restaurant and bar spaces that quietly went dark a few months ago in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. The red door to Soviet-themed vodka bar Hammer & Sickle has been painted purple ahead of the debut of BreakfastKlub Minneapolis, an all-day-breakfast eatery celebrating Minnesota culture, namely Prince and the Minnesota Vikings. The menu includes Southern breakfast items such as chicken and waffles, grits and various French toasts. It's expected to open within the next month. Meanwhile, the space next door previously occupied by sports bar and dance club The Fremont is transitioning to Fire House Uptown, a happy hour spot with upscale bar food and 19 TVs. A grand opening is slated for this weekend. Located at 1300 Lagoon Ave., Hammer & Sickle opened in 2013 and The Fremont opened in 2015. The local restaurateur behind both concepts, Gene Suh, recently decided to retire and replace them with something else. The building's owner, Ackerberg, enlisted Caspian Group brokers Marshall Nguyen, Jay Mawas and Winnie Patterson to secure new concepts for the spaces. Their role was facilitating a partnership agreement between Suh, who still holds a lease for the spots, and Marquise Walker, who's leading the creation and management of BreakfastKlub and Fire House. Helming the kitchens for both is DeMarco Cavil, a personal chef who's cooked for celebrities and professional athletes, including Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild players. One wall of BreakfastKlub will feature a mural of Prince, who famously loved breakfast, alongside lyrics from his song "Uptown." Framed jerseys of Minnesota athletes, as well as photos of Cavil with his famous clients, like rapper Cardi B and former President Bill Clinton, will adorn other walls inside the restaurant. Walker hopes his new concepts will attract Uptown residents, bring others to the neighborhood and contribute to its rebound. "A lot of people gave up on Uptown because of crime, the riot and the different stuff that's happening in Uptown," he said. "We believe in Uptown, we believe in Minneapolis. We love the city, and we're gonna do what we can on our behalf to try to make sure it's safe." BreakfastKlub and Fire House plan to stay open until 2 a.m. on the weekends.