The Golden Nuts, the Columbia Heights sweets shop that has been clogging TikTok feeds with its Dubai chocolate and fresh knafeh, is heading to the Mall of America. The cousins who launched the store in 2024 plan to expand to the mega-mall, bringing their mix of imported confections and freshly made Middle Eastern pastries to a much bigger crowd. It is a fast climb for a neighborhood confectioner that turned social media buzz into steady foot traffic.
Third Shop Planned Inside Mall of America
According to Twin Cities Business Journal, The Golden Nuts is preparing to open a third location at the Mall of America. The publication reports that the expansion follows the shop's viral popularity and mounting demand for its signature treats.
From Columbia Heights to Viral Feeds
The Golden Nuts opened in Columbia Heights in 2024 and quickly built a reputation for imported candies, roasted nuts, and inventive desserts, according to the Star Tribune. Local media and TV crews picked up the story as the shop's Dubai chocolate - a milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio butter and kataifi threads - took off online, and CBS Minnesota captured the lines the sweets were drawing at the counter. The owners paired a packed retail candy case with a compact café that turns out fresh pastries and late-night snacks.
Menu Staples Expected at MOA
The shop's menu centers on chilled Dubai chocolate bars and warm knafeh cooked to order on a hot griddle, staples that are likely to anchor the Mall of America storefront, per Eater Twin Cities. Reviewers have praised The Golden Nuts' Turkish delight and gooey knafeh, pointing to the mix of grab-and-go sweets and made-to-order pastries as the key twist. That hybrid model helped the cousins stand out in the Twin Cities food scene and likely shaped their decision to scale up.
Why the Mall Matters
Mall of America offers national visibility and heavy foot traffic, making it a natural next step for homegrown spots that have already proven themselves locally. The mall highlights a constant churn of dining and retail openings in its "New + Opening Soon" listings, and positions itself as a place where niche concepts can grow, according to Mall of America. For a business powered by viral posts and word of mouth, the mall could turn regional curiosity into year-round sales.
"It's an idea that's not existed in Minnesota, so we thought of something new for the state, for the neighborhood, for the community," one owner told the Star Tribune. For now, the Business Journal reports that the Mall of America shop is still in the works and the Columbia Heights flagship will stay open as plans move ahead.
