"We had every intention of staying in Minnetonka long-term, but parking continues to be a challenge for our guests." That's how Joe Fresta, Redstone American Grill's director of operations, explained the closing of its Minnetonka restaurant at 12241 Wayzata Boulevard in early September, as Bring Me The News reported. Redstone first opened near Ridgedale Center in 1999 at a different location, so between its two addresses it spent 27 years around the mall.
Parking is an odd reason for a restaurant to leave a mall area that's known for it. But the Ridgedale area is giving up a lot of its asphalt. Over the past few years, the land around the mall has been reshaped into parks, apartments and smaller commercial buildings, and the restaurant mix is changing with it. The places opening this year are compact and quick, or they've moved into existing buildings. The 27-year sit-down steakhouse is the one that left.
Where the parking went
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, as relayed by Bring Me The News, reported that parking in the area has gotten more complicated over the last nine years. Developments have taken over some lot space, and the priority has been moving surface parking into structures.
If you've driven past the mall's north side, you've seen one of the biggest changes. Ridgedale Commons turned two acres of the mall's parking lot into a public gathering park. Construction started in 2022, and Finance & Commerce named it one of its top projects of 2023. More of that land is still being converted. Inland Development Partners' Marsh Run III at 11800 Wayzata Boulevard went from a townhome plan to a four-story, 44-unit apartment building, and the city issued its site-development permit on March 31, 2026.
Each of these projects makes sense by itself. Taken together, they leave fewer open lots where a large dinner crowd used to park. A restaurant that seats big tables for long weekend dinners needs a lot of nearby stalls at the same hours. The newer arrivals are built differently.
The bank site that brought its own lot
The best example is 1807–1809 Plymouth Road. That was the site of a three-story Wells Fargo bank and office building. The city approved its redevelopment on June 24, 2024, as two buildings with five tenants: bank and retail in the south building, restaurant and retail in the north.
A January 2025 city staff report listed the planned tenants as Chipotle, Wells Fargo, Livewell Animal Urgent Care, a retail space and a second fast-casual restaurant. The same report counted 108 parking stalls on the property against a projected demand of 86. So the site has more stalls than projected demand, all on its own lot. That's the reverse of the situation Redstone described a mile away.
Here's how it has filled in:
- Chipotle, 1807 Plymouth Road. It opened Friday, July 31, as Chipotle's third Minnetonka restaurant, and was expected to bring about 30 jobs. There's no Chipotlane drive-thru. Hours are 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, according to Bring Me The News.
- Shake Shack, 1809 Plymouth Road, Suite 1. The city's August 24 notice on its liquor license application, which covers on-sale wine and 3.2 percent malt beverage, said it would open in September with burgers, fries and shakes. The second city council hearing on that application was set for today, October 5. The Star Tribune's restaurant roll call, also published today, lists it as coming in October 2026. Until a firm date is announced, consider October a target.
The city's staff report described the north building's second restaurant space only as fast-casual, without naming a brand. Shake Shack's address lines up with this redevelopment, but the city documents don't say outright that it's the tenant the report had in mind.
The other openings moved into existing buildings
Ridgedale's other new restaurants this year took over spaces that already existed, along with their parking.
Kyoto Sushi, 12977 Ridgedale Drive. Kyoto took over the former Toma Mojo Grill space. The city approved its liquor licenses on March 23, 2026, and its plan listed an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet with sushi and hibachi, targeting a July opening. By September, the restaurant's own site showed it operating at that address, with dine-in, takeout, online ordering and posted hours. No exact opening date has been published. It isn't on the list of locations on Kyoto's main website yet, so the Minnetonka site is the one to check for hours.
Ichigo Cafe, 10988 Cedar Lake Road S. This one is a short drive south of the mall, and it's the newest arrival. After a soft opening September 26–30, Ichigo had its grand opening October 1. The Star Tribune describes it as a Minnetonka outpost of the Eat Street Crossing cafe serving Tokyo-style crepes and other Japanese sweets. Ichigo's own site also lists soufflé pancakes, coffee, matcha and boba.
Inside the mall, the official Ridgedale Center directory now shows Exotic Snack Guys as "Now Open" near JCPenney, but it doesn't give an opening date.
These openings have something in common. Each is either a counter-service format or a restaurant that moved into a building with parking already attached. None of them depends on a mall surface lot that might be the next development site.
Two big names that haven't arrived
Two larger projects tied to Ridgedale keep getting mentioned. Neither should go on your calendar yet.
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant. On June 8, Cooper's Hawk presented a concept for a restaurant with an off-sale wine shop at Ridgedale to the Minnetonka City Council. The city's summary says council members gave feedback on a concept plan only, which comes before any formal application. When Bring Me The News followed up on June 18, it still needed formal approval, and no specific space or opening timeline had been set. We haven't found a public update since then.
Kowalski's Markets. In December 2023, the Star Tribune reported plans for a 27,000-square-foot Kowalski's in the former Sears Automotive building, renovating the existing building rather than replacing it, with a 2025 target. That target has passed, and Kowalski's current store finder doesn't list a Ridgedale or Minnetonka store. No public explanation for the delay has come out, and no cancellation has been announced either.
Both are bigger formats than a fast-casual counter, and both are still unresolved.
Getting there this month
If you're heading to the new Plymouth Road spots or to Kyoto in the next couple of weeks, expect construction. The city's Ridgedale Drive and Cartway Lane project covers street, sidewalk, ramp and signal work, and the city scheduled it to start September 21 and wrap up by mid-October. This is street work, not a new parking structure.
Ridgedale Commons is also quiet for the season. Its last city event was the "Summer in the Commons: Carnival" on August 8. The city calendar shows nothing at the Commons for October or November 2026. As of now, the December calendar doesn't list a 2026 "Light up the Commons," the tree lighting the city held on December 6 last year.
Redstone isn't gone from the area entirely. It still runs its Eden Prairie and Maple Grove restaurants, and Minnetonka staff were offered positions with the same hours at those two locations. No one has announced what will go into its former space at 12241 Wayzata Boulevard. Since a parking lot played a part in its closing, the next tenant may be a good sign of where Ridgedale is heading.
If you own a home near Ridgedale, what's changing on Plymouth Road and Wayzata Boulevard is part of your home's story too. At Steve Schmitz, we've been following this corner of Minnetonka for decades, and we're happy to walk you through what today's market says about your place. Start with Get Your Home Value.