Mill District toWelcome Mexican Restaurant, La Madre, Later This Year
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 11:44AM
August 2024 opening planned, to include outdoor patio seating along both Washington Avenue and Park Avenue
Sherman Associates and Abe Ponce announce La Madre as the latest restaurant and first Mexican restaurant to join the Mill District neighborhood of Minneapolis. La Madre will serve patrons seeking both a neighborhood taqueria and an elevated downtown dining experience, located on the east corner of Washington Avenue and Park Avenue at 205 Park Avenue. Ponce is the operator of the well-known Mexican street food restaurant and food truck, La Tapatia located in Roseville.
Along with house-made tortillas and tortilla chips made fresh daily, La Madre will have a chef-curated menu providing a modern take on traditional Mexican entrees, small plates, and shareables with plenty of seafood and exotic Mexican cuisine options. The robust drink menu will feature a collection of Mexican-owned tequilas that are hand-selected for their commitment to sustainability and for being additive-free. House cocktails, micheladas, craft beers, seltzers, wine, and Mexican sodas will also be available.
La Madre, meaning “the mother” in Spanish, is both the essence and inspiration of Ponce’s new restaurant and is the woman behind the minority-owned family business. Ponce’s mother and executive chef, Martha Ponce, started the business in 2014 serving Mexican street tacos out of a food trailer in the Greater East Side neighborhood of St. Paul. Operations quickly grew to include the La Tapatia food truck which caters events and serves food at breweries around the Twin Cities. La Tapatia opened its restaurant in Roseville in 2021 and has food stands at Target Field in Section 116 and the Delta Sky360 Club.
"We aim to build a human-centric organization centered on community and empowerment. By creating a sustainable work environment, we can achieve healthier communities by bridging our differences by inviting you to our table to share our common love of tacos,” said Ponce. “La Madre embodies my mom's stubbornness, tenacity, and willpower to be unapologetic and authentically ourselves - a la madre!"
Mirroring the bustling streets of Puerto Vallarta, La Madre will boast a warm and inviting atmosphere that will extend onto its outdoor patio with seating along both Washington Avenue and Park Avenue. The 5,000 SF restaurant will seat 110 guests in the dining room, 19 guests at the bar, and 34 guests in the outdoor patio. An area with bench seating will allow guests to enjoy a drink while waiting for a table.
“Abe's dedication to infusing the menu with his values and passion, evident in every aspect of the customer experience, is truly inspiring,” said Ben Kepple, Director of Commercial Operations at Sherman Associates. “La Madre will provide an all-encompassing experience, perfect for a family outing, catching a sporting event, going on a date, or dining before an event, all while savoring authentic Mexican cuisine. We’re thrilled to partner with Abe and his team.”
La Madre plans to open in August 2024 with hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday, opening earlier for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations can be made at LaMadreMN.com. Walk-ins are accepted and open seating is available at the bar. Parking options include metered street parking and the nearby Mill Quarter and Riverfront Municipal parking ramps.
La Madre will be located on the east corner of Washington Ave and Park Ave at 205 Park Ave.
La Madre will be located at the street level of The Vicinity Apartments, owned and operated by Sherman, and will serve as a unique amenity to residents living at The Vicinity as well as residents and working professionals in the Mill District neighborhood, providing a new restaurant for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Sherman has a reputable multifamily portfolio in the Mill District that supports its commercial tenants like La Madre with a substantial customer base including Encore, East End, Ladder 260 opening in late spring, and O2 opening in early fall, as well as Sherman’s corporate headquarters in the J.I. Case Building.
Follow La Madre on Instagram at @LaMadreMN.
