hope breakfast bar building
Pancakes first, garage doors second.
There's a new stack of hotcakes in the West End. Brian and Sarah Ingram opened the second location of their Hope Breakfast Bar this weekend in St. Louis Park.
Those big black squares will soon be movable garage doors, but the people need breakfast, so the Ingrams decided to carry on without them for now. The front room is a bit darker than it will normally be, so the team decided to wrap the inside walls in Christmas paper to give it a lift.
The original HBB in St. Paul is carved out of an historic building, which lends charming notes but tighter spaces to the eatery. This version, carved out of the former Bluefox Indian restaurant, clearly has a newer footprint which allows it to breathe a bit more. It's a very similar vibe, but there are newer touches that make this one feel unique.
coffee counter
First, there's a full coffee bar at the front, so you don't have to commit to full breakfast if you stop by. "We hope people will choose us over Starbucks if they want to come in and just grab a coffee drink on their way to work," Brian Ingram told me. They'll have the classic coffee bar drinks, plus seasonal offerings such as spiced brown sugar latte or a white chocolate matcha latte. Beside the creative coffee drinks and lemonade sippers, you'll now be able to grab a quick smoked salmon everything bagel, some overnight oats, even avocado toast. This feels like a great match for the condo dwellers in the adjoining neighborhood.
bar at hope
There's also a full bar to sit at. And there will be a happy hour. Though this is mainly a breakfast and lunch spot, it will be open until 7pm.
walls in hope breakfast bar
The rest of the space is open and airy, with lower slung booths mimicking pew seating among tables. The wall holds a BELIEVE mural, which is a carry over from the first location where the word adorns the outside of the building.
kitchen seating
The kitchen is open with bar has seating all around its perimeter, using the space above for storage. Even with the sneeze-guard barrier, you definitely feel the action.
portraits on wall
Other decor touches are smaller, a living green wall will eventually be installed over the kitchen and portraits from the Ingram's friend Joey Africa hang near the entrance. The picture of Bourdain is obvious, but it's great to see a portrait of Jay Fai, the female chef who runs first Michelin-starred street food stall in Bangkok.
deviled egg sandwich and hashbrowns
Speaking of food, you'll notice the menu is largely the same as the original, but there are a few new items that can only be found in SLP: this deviled egg toast with house pickles, banana bread pancakes, pinã colada pancakes, and spaghetti chili among other things.
And true to its form and mission, Hope is giving you a chance to give hope. Like the original, 3% of all proceeds go to charitable organizations. Further, on each table is information about their Give Hope MN organization which raises funds to help families in need. With one location they've raised over $17K of their $25K goal, and are hoping to keep that going with more willing souls. "The staff here was really excited by this, they want to help go shopping for the families and everything," Ingram said, "It's a part of who we are, no matter where we open."
Hope Breakfast Bar is now open in the West End, seven days a week starting at 7am. If all goes well, I have zero doubts that you could be seeing one in your neighborhood in the future.
