When are Punch Pizza, Cowboy Jack’s Opening in Woodbury?

Councilwoman Amy Scoggins asked owners Wednesday night as the city approved liquor licenses for both establishments.

The Woodbury City Council on Wednesday swiftly approved liquor licenses for three establishments. And Councilwoman Amy Scoggins put owners of Punch Pizza and Cowboy Jack’s on the spot, asking when they plan to open the new restaurants in Woodbury. John Puckett, co-owner of Punch, told the council from the audience that he hopes to have the Woodbury location open by July. Punch Pizza plans to open in the same building as FedEx in Woodbury’s City Centre. Meanwhile, Cowboy Jack’s owners said they’re shooting for a late-April opening. It’s going in at the former Woody’s Roadhouse/Throwback’s space off Woodlane Drive. Councilman Paul Rebholz also thanked Cowboy Jack’s owners for their inclusion of lawful gambling to benefit the Woodbury …

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Liquor Licenses for Cowboy Jack’s, Punch Pizza, Plus Bielenberg Contracts: Woodbury Council Preview

The Woodbury City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13.

Punch Pizza is still shooting for a June opening, and work on its new Woodbury location will likely begin in about a month, a manager told Patch on Monday. Punch is one of three businesses that have liquor license applications coming before the Woodbury City Council on Wednesday. The others are the Tavern Grill and Cowboy Jack’s. Punch Pizza is planning to open in part of the FedEx building at 8310 City Centre Drive. The shipping company will downsize its Woodbury location to accommodate the new restaurant. The Tavern Grill opened in early June 2012 in the former Aperitif space off Tamarack Road and Bielenberg Drive. A change in operations/ownership is necessitating the new license. Cowboy Jack’s, meanwhile, is set to open in the former …

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Kris Janisch

6:23 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I'll follow up tomorrow, called over and offices were closed, but we just got an updated agenda for the meeting and I wonder if the projected costs for the Bielenberg project are coming down. I updated this post with an * and the new number via: http://www.ci.woodbury.mn.us/agendas/council/march132013/8a-supplement.htm   more ›

Top Stories of 2012, No. 5: Restaurant Revival

As we count down to the New Year, here’s a rundown of the most-viewed stories on Patch in 2012.

Editor’s note: News of the closure of Aperitif got plenty of people wondering what would go in at that location… and apparently Tavern Grill was a good choice. I got word from at least one reader that it was tough to find a table on the Tavern Grill patio this summer. Here’s the story, which was published Tuesday, June 5. Tavern Grill opened Tuesday in the former Aperitif space in Woodbury. “It turned out just great,” said Anoush Ansari, managing partner of Hemisphere Restaurant Partners. “This is not our first rodeo.” The Woodbury Tavern Grill offers the same food and drink menu as its locations in Edina and Blaine, Ansari said, and the space features dark wood, large black and white photos and a handsome bar. “We basically Tavernized it…

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Readers React: How is Woodbury’s New Tavern Grill?

Have you been there yet? How is it?

Earlier this week, Patch received an email from a woman with a brief rundown of her experience at the Tavern Grill, which opened in early June. After posting a link to the new restaurant’s Patch listing with a note about how people can rate and review businesses in Woodbury, it sparked a bit of discussion on the Woodbury patch Facebook page. Here are a few of their comments. Have you been there yet? How is it? Sarah: Awesome! Having happy hour there with friends tomorrow! Ana: Love it. It’s a lot like the flame in Roseville! Kate: Has it died down yet? Tried to go on opening day and was turned off by the crowds. Can I get a table yet? Toni: Happy Hour is great! The nachos were super good. The environment and staff are super friendly. I can…

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Kris Janisch

9:30 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

What do you mean about fixing the noise level S? Did they add dampeners or something?   more ›

Editor's Notebook

Rewind: Peacock on Parade, Tavern Grill Opens, Stop Sign Suggestions

Catching up on the news of the week in Woodbury.

In case you missed some of the week’s big news stories, here’s a roundup. Ever wonder about all those furniture stores along Hudson Road? We asked the chair of Globe University’s business program why similar businesses congregate in certain parts of cities. Also Monday, we got word that the 19-year-old man suspected in a string of burglaries and car break-ins last year was again busted for burglary in Woodbury. Big news day Tuesday, starting with the peacock that was spotted in Woodbury. The Tavern Grill opened in Woodbury in the former Aperitif space. Cool story Tuesday on a Woodbury 15-year-old who qualified for the Olympic trials in swimming. And this story on Councilwoman Amy Scoggins’ suggestion that the city should examine the need …

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Tavern Grill Opens in Woodbury

The new restaurant opened Tuesday, June 5, in the former Aperitif space on Bielenberg Drive.

Tavern Grill opened Tuesday in the former Aperitif space in Woodbury. “It turned out just great,” said Anoush Ansari, managing partner of Hemisphere Restaurant Partners. “This is not our first rodeo.” The Woodbury Tavern Grill offers the same food and drink menu as its locations in Edina and Blaine, Ansari said, and the space features dark wood, large black and white photos and a handsome bar. “We basically Tavernized it,” he said. Though each Tavern Grill location has been repurposed, each has a unique feel, Ansari said, and designers try to stay away from the uniform décor found at some chain restaurants. “Ours all have their own character, but the overall feel is a ‘Tavern’ feel,” he said. Ownership liked the traffic and visibility at …

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New Restaurant: Tavern Grill Plans June 5 Opening

The Woodbury City Council on Wednesday approved a liquor license for the establishment, which is opening soon in the former Aperitif space.

Tavern Grill plans to open June 5 in the former Aperitif space. Officials from the new restaurant were at the Woodbury City Council meeting Wednesday as the city unanimously approved a liquor license for the establishment. (Background checks came back clear.) Patch stopped in at the restaurant recently and it was undergoing a lot of work, but Tavern Grill representatives assured Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens that the patio would remain unchanged. There are two other Tavern Grill locations (Blaine and Edina). The company’s website already lists the Woodbury spot, and the menu shows a wide range of appetizers, seafood and steak, and burgers and sandwiches. "It's a beautiful space," Anoush Ansari, from Hemisphere Restaurant Partners, told the …

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Report: New Restaurant To Open At Aperitif Space In Woodbury

Hemisphere Restaurant Partners plans to open a Tavern Grill in the space, according to a Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal story.

A new restaurant is coming to the former Aperitif space in Woodbury, according to a report. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal is reporting that Hemisphere Restaurant Partners plans to open a Tavern Grill in the old Aperitif Restaurant and Bar near the Sheraton Hotel. Aperitif has been closed since February 2011 and its former owner, JLT Group, Inc., was the subject of an FBI and IRS investigation. "It's a beautiful space," Anoush Ansari, Hemisphere's managing partner, told the Business Journal of the Woodbury location. "We like second-generation spaces that are still in good shape and don't need a huge startup investment." There are two other Tavern Grill locations, in Blaine and Edina.   Be sure to follow Woodbury Patch on Twitter…

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Kris Janisch

9:01 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Oohf, I don't know. If you heard about what happened to the old ownership group, I'd say no.   more ›