Tavern Grill restaurant opens in Woodbury

A new restaurant with a 350-person capacity and a menu known for “build your own” items opened in Woodbury earlier this month.

Tavern Grill opened its third Twin Cities location at the former Aperitif restaurant.

Hemisphere Restaurant Partners bought the space in February and remodeled it to add more booths, more intimate group seating and an updated patio and bar.

“We ‘Tavernized’ it,” said Anoush Ansari, managing partner of the restaurant.

He said the new black and white photos on the walls, along with the wood beams that were kept from the old venue, gave the restaurant a new look and feel.

“There is so much you can do when you go into a second generation space,” he said.

The company decided to acquire the Woodbury location because of the demographics and the need for Tavern foods, Ansari said.

He said a lot of the customers from the Blaine and Edina locations, who travel for work, are excited to have a Tavern Grill location on the east metro.

“We love the Woodbury market,” Ansari said. “I think our product is the right fit for Woodbury.”

Tavern Grill is known for build-your-own pizzas, burgers and salad, along with 60 chef designed menu items and signature specialty drinks.

The restaurant has been filled at capacity at lunch and dinner since its opening June 5, Ansari said, with patrons trying the customized options.

Tavern Grill added 75 new employees to the Woodbury location.

“It’s been great that people say, ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’” Ansari said.

Hemisphere Restaurant Group also owns Mission America Kitchen and Bar, Atlas Grill and Good to Go restaurants in downtown Minneapolis and Flame Rotisserie in Roseville.

Tags: business, woodbury