Hungry vegetarians and omnivores alike are flocking to Minneapolis, MN’s first fully vegetarian bar that opened last week. Francis boasts a plant-based menu and craft cocktails created in partnership with Earl Giles, a distillery based in Minneapolis.
The bar program, described as “light-hearted” and “playful,” pays tribute to Francis’ location in northeast Minneapolis. On offer are 11 house cocktails—including Bitters & Bubbles, the bar’s classic Negroni Sabagliato with 13 beers, ciders, spirits, locally made schutz seltzer and wine. For those who abstain from alcohol, Francis also offers a variety of non-alcoholic beverages such as alcohol-free beer, hop water from Minneapolis-based Fair State Shoppe and small-batch kombucha by local favorite Northstar Kombucha.
For co-owner Lindsey Johnston, running the city’s first vegetarian bar seems surreal. “It feels amazing to be the only completely vegan bar in the state,” Johnston told VeganNews.
“Many people don’t realize that some colors, sweeteners or fining agents in their alcohol are not vegan. We have a great fun cocktail program with creative takes on the classics – it’s thoughtful, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
Open Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until midnight, Francis hopes to solidify its status as a neighborhood bar where locals can gather after work in search of drinks and food.
Until now, late-night bites and drinks haven’t always been a viable option for the plant-based crowd in Northeast Minneapolis—a problem Brendan Ville and Garrett Bourne, the other co-owners of Francis, are all too familiar with.
Francis’ all-vegan menu
Customers can order a variety of plant-based comfort foods to enjoy alongside their drinks. The food menu features a bevy of vegan burgers made using Impossible Foods patties such as the baconator (two or more patties made with cheese, house-made seitan bacon, and the kitchen’s signature French sauce on a brioche bun). Francis Burger (a classic burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and pub sauce); and the Juicy Lucy (a classic burger with a cheese-filled patty.)
Garrett is born
For those who prefer old-school veggie burgers, the Garlic Girl (made with black bean patty, cheese, house-made bacon, Berber aioli, lettuce and pickled onions) offers a sense of nostalgia. Vegan chicken sandwiches and nuggets, loaded french fries and kids’ meals are also available.
Made by Francis
Although Francis had its grand opening last week, its roots in Minneapolis go back to 2021. Earlier that same year, longtime friends and restaurant industry veterans Viele and Born first began developing the concept for Francis. The two restaurant industry professionals have done almost everything in the hospitality industry – except own their own restaurant.
“[Viele and Born] Some were doing informational interviews with local vegan business owners and managers,” Johnston shared. “I was the general manager of a restaurant, and when I decided to leave, I reached out to them to see if they wanted any help.”
Johnston first came on board as a consultant, but after meeting Ville and Bourne, the trio quickly decided it was a venture they wanted to take on together as partners.
Garrett is born
“Collectively, we have over 50 years of service industry experience,” Johnston said. “We have really complementary strengths, and doing something like this with three makes things more manageable and fun.”
Francis first launched as a mobile kitchen, and in September 2021, it took up residence at local brewery Sociable Cider Works.
Four months later, in January 2022, the trio were approached with a dream opportunity. Local restaurant owners came up with a location near the mobile kitchen that they believed the Francis co-owners would be interested in. A year later, on opening day, Francis boasted a packed bar and dining room.
“We saw a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new faces around,” Johnston said. “When we were working out of the mobile kitchen at Sociable Cider Works last year, we were catering mostly to omnivores, and we were delighted to have many non-vegan/vegetarian customers who had a really great response to the food. . But, obviously we couldn’t have done it without our loyal Veg customers.”
But who is Francis?
For Francis’ co-owners—two of whom are vegans (longtime vegetarians by birth)—the best way to expose people to veganism is through food. And while they aim to come across as a neighborhood restaurant and bar first and a vegan establishment second, Francis’ dedication to the principles of veganism is evident in its name.
Garrett is born
Francis was named after a pig who, in 1990, escaped from a slaughterhouse in Red Deer, Canada, and has since become a local hero. The story of Francis the Pig was later immortalized in song thanks to Propaganda, Ville and Bourne’s favorite band. And now, Francis continues the restaurant and bar legacy.
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Jocelyn Martinez is an associate editor at VegNews living in Los Angeles, CA.