Endless appetizers are out and crusty baguettes are in at St. Louis Park's West End.
Mi-Sant, the family-run Vietnamese bakery and banh mi shop, has purchased the former TGI Fridays space in the West End of St. Louis Park, turning one of the suburb's most visible chain-restaurant sites over to a local operator. The long-running TGI Fridays location has sat dark since fall 2024, and the sale marks another shift in the West End's changing restaurant lineup.
As reported by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Mi-Sant bought the West End property and already operates locations in Roseville and Brooklyn Park. According to the Business Journal, the West End building closed in fall 2024 after operating as a TGI Fridays for roughly 45 years.
Mi-Sant’s Growing Local Footprint
Mi-Sant describes itself as a family operation focused on banh mi, bowls and bakery items. The company’s website lists active locations in Brooklyn Park and Roseville, where the shop has built a following for made-to-order sandwiches and pastries; see Mi-Sant for menus and hours.
What West End Loses & What It Gains
The TGI Fridays site had already been on the market last year. The space was listed for lease in September 2024, according to an earlier report by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and its closure was part of a wave of chain retrenchment the metro saw last year. Star Tribune coverage noted multiple national brands closed or retooled locations across the region as local concepts moved in.
For West End diners, the switch from a national casual chain to a family-run Vietnamese bakery fits the current pattern: large, legacy restaurants are being reworked into smaller, local concepts that lean into takeout, bakery cases and more distinctive menus. Community reaction and a firm opening timetable have not yet been published, but the sale sets up another locally owned food option to watch in the neighborhood this year.
