The MoZaic project in the Uptown area of south Minneapolis has landed its first tenant: Bar Louie, a franchised neighborhood bar and restaurant concept that will open next spring on the project’s ground level.

Bar Louie to open at MoZaic project

The MoZaic project in the Uptown area of south Minneapolis has landed its first tenant: Bar Louie, a franchised neighborhood bar and restaurant concept that will open next spring on the project’s ground level. Bar Louie will occupy 7,300 square feet of space in MoZaic, which will be completed in February.

LaCrosse, Wis.-based Fortney Hospitality Group, a franchisee of Bar Louie, will operate the location. The Fortney Hospitality Group also operates Brothers Bar & Grill in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis.

Marc Fortney of the Fortney Hospitality Group said that plans ultimately call for opening four Bar Louie locations in the Twin Cities. Fortney said his company had been studying the Uptown area for several years.

“Our concentration in the near future is going to be the Minneapolis-St. Paul marketplace,” Fortney said. The company operates about 20 bars and restaurants under various names in 10 states.

He noted that business has remained more stable in Minneapolis than in other areas during the tough economy.

“We travel all over the Midwest. Minneapolis has been, as far as we can tell, not as impacted as the rest of the Midwest,” Fortney said.

Developed by the Minneapolis-based Ackerberg Group, the $45 million MoZaic project at 1320 Lagoon Ave. calls for 65,000 square feet of Class A office space, 11,000 square feet of restaurant space and 436 parking stalls. The site also includes 120 surface parking spaces.

During the condo boom, Ackerberg was pitching the project as a condo development, but the deal never found traction.

Stuart Ackerberg, chief executive officer of the Ackerberg Group, called the Fortney group “an excellent operator with a wonderful track record.”

Ackerberg added: “We think they’re a great fit. I just know that this will be a very first-class operation.”