By Joe Spencer, Saint Paul Downtown Alliance
One of the many vitality indicators we track in downtown includes the movement of small business. The pandemic obviously crushed foot traffic in downtowns everywhere, but it also changed people’s habits and patterns. This, as we know, especially hurt small businesses and restaurants. Growing our residential population will diversify the base of customers downtown which is essential for storefront business.
Faced with this increase in storefront vacancy, we began the Grow Downtown program in 2022, which brings together building owners with vacant space and small business owners to work together supporting each other’s interests. To date, the program has worked with 18 businesses and most of them have seen success.
As we hoped, our successes helped spark natural growth in downtown. Since 2025, we have seen a kind of wellspring of small businesses come to downtown outside of this program. In early 2025, we saw Reckless Swagger, a punk and alternative clothing shop open in Wacouta Commons neighborhood. We saw the Palace Pub open in 7th Place Mall. Pino’s Pizza moved out of the skyway into 7th Place Mall and have thrived. 6ix Mears opened across from Mears Park and has added night life to that area of downtown. Avalon reopened the James J. Hill library building bringing a ton of events and A’bulae bought their building in Lowertown and may consider expansion. We saw Steven D’s open when Paul Harquist Jewelers, Skyway Mart, Holistically Yours, and B’s Barbershop relocated from the Alliance Bank building into the Town Square building. Sonder left, but Roami, another Airbnb hybrid hotel quietly moved in and began booking rooms. The Indoor Farmers Market opened at 308 Prince Street and was a fast success.
In 2026, we have seen an explosion of new businesses move into downtown and we are only halfway through the year. We kicked off the year with HepCat Coffee completing their expansion inside Osborn370 (the new Wabasha Park should be opening this fall right outside). Lucy Daisy florist opened in March. April had three grand openings. Galvan Foods & Tortilleria, which has been a staple of the Farmer’s Market for five years, now operates six days per week out of the Indoor Farmers Market as a full breakfast and lunch counter restaurant. Jenni’s Café opened in Landmark Center, led by the former head chef of Herbie’s on the Park, Joe Ruhland. Forever Young Vintage, Thrift & Gift opened inside the Wells Fargo building. LaNoire Bridal moved into a larger space in the Fitz Flats building and had their grand opening in May. By Mr. Martinez over on the edge of downtown by the arena had their grand opening in June. The Ivory Event Center, too, celebrated a grand opening in June. River Valley Coffee Company and Joey Mansion just soft-opened in July. The Stella Residencies has their grand opening planned for this fall but are already signing leases for their new 178 apartments.
We have also seen expansions and moves within downtown. Owl’s Eye Art Collective moved into a new location and are offering co-work spaces in addition to art studios and classes. DG Pilot moved from Rice Park area to Union Depot and are having some of their best sales months. So Yen Desserts are experimenting with a dinner menu and are selling out their monthly pop-ups. And Meritage launched their new Underground space that operates a Friday night speakeasy, performances and a private club.
Aldi announced their plans for moving into downtown (fall is the anticipated opening), and there are quite a few more ‘coming soons’ we have heard about. They include more small businesses and more construction on office-to-residential conversion projects.
What is also exciting about these businesses I listed is that about half of them are owned by entrepreneurs of color. Downtown is doing what it should be: being a place of opportunity for new ideas, fresh energy, and diverse backgrounds to flourish.
It is easy to see that these indicators are pointing toward a new, exciting future in downtown Saint Paul. A future where people want to live, where businesses big and small thrive, and a place that generates more investment.
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