Smack Shack partners Josh Thoma and Kevin Fitzgerald just made their Northeast home base official, buying the 1029 Bar on Marshall Street and taking control of the dive where their seafood operation first found its footing.
Deal Details
According to the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, Thoma and Fitzgerald are now the owners of the 1029 Bar and will keep running the kitchen that served for years as Smack Shack's winter home. The prior owners had long given the duo use of the kitchen, a setup that helped Smack Shack grow beyond its food truck. The Business Journal reports that the new owners say they plan to preserve the bar's neighborhood feel and dive-bar traditions even as the paperwork changes hands.
Smack Shack's Local Origin Story
Per Smack Shack, the business launched as a food truck in 2010 and began cooking out of the 1029 Bar's kitchen that same year. That collaboration brought national attention, including a feature on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and helped clear the path for a 2013 brick-and-mortar location in the North Loop. The founders' purchase pulls the brand back to a spot that was central to its early rise.
What Stays The Same At The Tenner
The 1029 Bar's own site pitches the Tenner as a longtime neighborhood hangout and calls out its partnership with Smack Shack for kitchen service. As outlined by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, the new owners say they plan to keep the Tenner's divey programming in place while taking over the behind-the-scenes responsibilities. That means regulars should see familiar menus and late-night events for now.
What Comes Next
Per Smack Shack and the bar's listings, Smack Shack continues to operate the 1029 kitchen, so patrons can likely count on signature lobster rolls alongside nightly karaoke. The sale works as a neat homecoming for two operators whose food business started at the Tenner and went on to become a Twin Cities mainstay, and it highlights how neighborhood bars and local restaurateurs can grow together without losing their roots.
