Getting Kozy

Not only is the Galleria in Edina one of the most prestigious addresses in the Twin Cities metro-at-large, but it's also one of the premier upscale malls in the Midwest. Boasting an überchic tenant roster that includes our only Tiffany's, the Galleria is also home to several sturdy, dated restaurant concepts, among them The Good Earth, Sidney's, and Big Bowl. And they are all mid-priced chain concepts completely dissonant with the center's luxury ethos.

For the last two years, the Galleria’s old Ciatti’s space has been empty. David Shea, one of the town’s preeminent restaurant designers, who has been working with Galleria owner Warren Beck for more than fifteen years, told me Galleria execs knew exactly what type of restaurant they wanted to augment the mix—one serving simple meals at moderate prices. Many of us who shop the Galleria and have sophisticated food tastes are dumbfounded.

When I heard Galleria was looking for a new restaurant, I figured it would be something exciting in the mold of 20.21 or Five—a high-profile glamour restaurant going into our only glamour mall. But Galleria management thought otherwise, and got the restaurant it wanted—Kozy’s, an expensive chophouse that has opened to unimpressive reviews and some seriously poor word of mouth in the foodie community. The back story on Kozy’s gestation reveals why interesting restaurants don’t go into shopping malls, no matter how upscale they are.

Years of focus groups taught the Galleria that its customer is not culinarily adventurous. So when it came to wooing a restaurateur, it looked for an established name—an operator who would deliver what Shea calls “food that isn’t effete or epicurean”—and a concept that could drive dinner destination dining. “Louis XIII [across the street at Southdale] proved how difficult it is to be cool in a mall,” Shea notes, referencing David Fhima’s struggle to execute an ambitious menu, which has been subsequently dumbed down. Louis also attracts only a fraction of the business that PF Changs, Maggiano’s, and Cheesecake Factory do.

Enter Bill Kozlak, whose family has owned and operated Jax Cafe for generations. Beck approached Kozlak, who saw the space and heard the pitch: Bring an independent heritage restaurant to the Galleria. Kozlak looked at the success of Kincaid’s  down the road, and believed he could match its numbers. Kozlak says he wasn’t shocked that the Galleria customer is less sophisticated than some of us imagined. “Fads are fads,” Kozlak says. “Meat and potatoes sell here, they have legs. Even our female customers prefer the chicken pot pie to our tuna niçoise.”

According to Galleria vice president and general manager Jill Noack, other restaurants wanted in. They rejected some national chains outright and some local entrepreneurs as well. As Phil Roberts, the man behind Oceanaire, Manny’s, and several other ventures, including the Galleria’s Good Earth, explains, “Fine dining just doesn’t open in shopping centers.” Roberts told me he looked at the space, but didn’t have a casual concept to put there.

The Galleria made a safe and smart business decision. More restaurateurs should consider who their customer is before creating menus and opening their doors. Restaurants such as Red and Mojito misjudged their market and are now closed after limited runs. (But they also made serious operational mistakes that leave a lingering doubt as to whether it was the concept or the execution.) Others, such as Heartland, despite its superior product, struggled early on because its customer base did not live in the neighborhood, and thus had to build by word of mouth.

If Kozy’s enjoys a long run, it will be about the focus group, building an eatery for your local customer, and the oldest of adages: location, location, location.

Reach restaurant columnist Andrew Zimmern at azimmern@mspmag.com.