Gavin Kaysen's Bellecour is back

Gavin Kaysen is bringing Bellecour back this fall in two locations: first in the North Loop at 107 3rd Av. N., and then in Edina at 3934 Market St.

The new-era Bellecours will offer casual counter ordering of coffee, pastries and light bites from morning through lunch at both locations; the North Loop space will flip to full service, casual French dinners in the evenings. "This is the kind of food I love to cook the most," said Kaysen.

Bellecour North Loop will occupy a part of what was the Muse Event Center. Somewhat remarkably, it will be on the same Minneapolis block as two of Kaysen's other restaurants, Spoon and Stable and Demi.

"I feel like this neighborhood has really missed Moose & Sadie's," said Kaysen of the North Loop cafe that closed in 2020. "You can't ever replace that, but I feel like we're missing that community kind of restaurant."

Both spaces are designed by Shea of Minneapolis.

In the North Loop, the ghost of warehouses past will remain visible courtesy of exposed brick and uncovered rough wood beams. Guests will order at a counter in the morning, framed by an arch of white subway tile, with three gold stars signifying Bellecour 3.0. Art deco-styled light fixtures give the room a Greenwich Village kind of ambiance. Out front, there will be room for a few sidewalk tables.

After 2 p.m., the room will flip to what Kaysen calls "proper dinner service — but still casual." The counter will be cleared away and set with kitchen view seats. In the back dining room, a full bar will offer cocktails created by award-winning bartender and beverage director Jessi Pollak.

The Edina location will sport large awnings and have a more modern feel. There will also be sidewalk seating, and the location will offer beer and wine.

"I always wanted Bellecour to come back to its roots," Kaysen said, who opened the original Bellecour in downtown Wayzata in 2017. Named for the central square of Lyon, the gastronomic epicenter of France, it pays homage to his mentors, chefs Daniel Boulud and Paul Bocuse.

In the pandemic summer of 2020, Bellecour Wayzata closed. Subsequently, Kaysen and Cooks of Crocus Hill owners Karl Benson and Marie Dwyer forged a five-year deal to offer a Bellecour pastry and cold case selection inside their culinary supply boutiques.

Together, they then opened a Cooks Bellecour location in Edina in 2023. That outpost will close May 31, when renovations to transform it into a bakery and cafe will begin.

Cooks of Crocus Hill, which has been in operation since 1973, will then reclaim the space inside its stores on Grand Avenue in St. Paul and on N. 1st Street in the North Loop. Its owners plan to continue to serve their customers with classes, events and everything a food fan could ever need in their home kitchen. In a statement, Benson and Dwyer said, "At its core, Cooks is about discovery, community and connection. Joyfully, this will continue."