Mother Dough Bakery is set to debut a new flagship bakery, patisserie, and cafe in the downtown Minneapolis skyway on April 6, turning a skyway-level space into a combined production hub and hangout for its downtown outlets. The spot is described as both a public cafe and a commissary kitchen that will centralize production while serving house-made breads, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and a wide range of pastries. Executive and pastry chef Katie Elsing will lead the kitchen inside the recently renovated U.S. Bancorp building on Nicollet Mall.
According to Bring Me The News, the skyway shop at 800 Nicollet Mall will act as a commissary for all Mother Dough locations and is scheduled to open on April 6. The outlet noted that regular operating hours have not yet been announced.
New Hub Lands Inside A Renovated Tower
The timing lines up with a broader overhaul of the U.S. Bancorp Center. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine reported that the building's lower floors and skyway are in the middle of roughly $15 million in upgrades aimed at drawing workers and new retailers back downtown. Those improvements include new fast-casual tenants and ground-floor build-outs, and Mother Dough is listed among the food operators moving into the refreshed footprint.
The move also follows the quiet March closure of Fhima's Minneapolis, the flagship restaurant from chef David Fhima's group that shut down after nearly eight years, a development seen as another marker of shifting economics and foot traffic downtown, Bring Me The News reported. Fhima told the outlet that rising maintenance costs at the historic City Center building and the loss of nearby office anchors were factors in the decision, and added, "We're here to stay, and we're committed." Mother Dough and the Fhima group say the new skyway bakery will keep their daytime cafe presence in the city center while concentrating production in one spot.
Pastry Lead Has Local Chops
Elsing is a familiar pastry pro in the Twin Cities. The Star Tribune has previously noted that she served as pastry chef at the Dakota and helped create recipes that became local favorites. Her presence suggests Mother Dough is aiming for a mix of dependable breakfast fare and pastry-driven specialties to draw in morning and midday crowds.
The skyway flagship is expected to give downtown workers another quick option for made-on-site breads and pastries while centralizing bake days for Mother Dough's other spots, which could speed up supply on busy mornings. Regular hours and details about seating or to-go operations have not been announced, but the April 6 opening date gives commuters a near-term deadline to check out the new stop.
