France 44, the longtime liquor store and gourmet deli in Linden Hills, is carving out new basement space for a fully equipped bakery and building an early-morning espresso bar at street level. The overhaul will bring laminated dough, fresh-baked bread and specialty coffee drinks to the south Minneapolis shop, with the remodeled bakery-cafe expected to open its doors at 7:30 a.m. daily.
The plans, first detailed by the Star Tribune, call for bakery production space to move into the basement of the France 44 building at 4351 France Ave. S., freeing up the street level for a pastry case and espresso setup. Minneapolis-based Christian Dean Architecture has been brought on to design that street-level space and refresh the store's existing retail area, according to the outlet's reporting. A wall inside the building will also be moved to make room for the expansion.
Once finished, the bakery-cafe will serve seasonal savory and sweet baked goods alongside specialty drinks, and fresh coffee will be poured every morning. France 44 also plans to bake its own laminated dough and fresh bread for sandwiches — work the shop's deli previously outsourced to Patisserie 46 for its baguettes and sandwich bread, per the same account. The station's report notes that the current team already includes what it describes as an exceptional baker and bread maker, giving the project an in-house head start.
New Leadership For The Expanded Space
Karina Roe will serve as general manager of the event space added in France 44's 2022 expansion, according to Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. The company's food operation is overseen by Benjamin Roberts. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine identifies him as its Chief of Cheese and says he is in charge of the food business; the Star Tribune reports that he has worked at France 44 since 2008.
Roberts told the Star Tribune that France 44 evolves with the talent inside the building, pointing to the arrival of skilled bakers as a driving force behind the bakery buildout. The shop's food side has grown steadily under that philosophy, expanding from its cheese counter into whole-animal butchery and scratch-made harissas and soups over the years.
Conflicting Timelines On When The Work Wraps Up
Exactly when diners can expect fresh pastries and espresso remains unsettled. The Star Tribune reports the bakery and coffee shop aims to open before the spring thaw of 2027, with the shop needing to close briefly for remodeling, likely in January. Minnesota Monthly's earlier account, however, stated that construction had already started and the finished project was expected to launch in the fall — a timeline that has not been reconciled with the newer spring 2027 target.
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's report also described features tied to France 44's 2022 event-space expansion, including a 1,100-square-foot indoor space with seating for up to 30 people for classes, tastings and meetings, a 1,120-square-foot outdoor area with patio seating, fire pits and a grill, and a demo kitchen with a pizza oven and countertop seating.
From A 1950s Bottle Shop To A Neighborhood Destination
France 44's roots trace back to a simple bottle shop in the Gateway District of downtown Minneapolis in the late 1950s, owned by Red and Harriet Anderson, according to the company's own account on France44.com. After moving multiple times, the business settled in 1975 into a former service station at France Avenue and 44th Street in Linden Hills, where it remains today.
Rich Anderson later took over operations, doubling the size of the building and adding a robust wine selection, while Rick Anderson continued the gourmet deli expansion after taking over the family business in 2007. France 44 opened its Cheese Shop in 2001 and has since grown to include a whole-animal butcher shop, gourmet grocery and scratch deli, plus sister shops for cheese and meat in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul. A 2022 building expansion added dedicated space for classes, gatherings and pop-up nights, according to the company.
Roberts told the Star Tribune that out-of-town visitors have long stopped at France 44 on their way to events or while on vacation, and that some customers plan entire trips around a stop at the shop. The bakery and espresso bar are the latest step in that evolution, adding a coffee-and-pastry counter to a building that started out selling little more than wine and liquor.
