Ye olde Old Spaghetti Factory to become Pinstripes bowling bar

City Pages

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 by Sarah Brumble

The former Old Spaghetti Factory is a covetable piece of real estate if ever there were. After 25 years of holding down the corner of South Washington and Park avenues by the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie, its departure left a noticeable hole in the dining landscape of downtown.

After it had been taken for granted for so long, a new question arose: What does one do with the shell of that behemoth?

If you’re Sherman Associates, you make that bad boy into a Pinstripes.

This means the cuisine will remain Italian-American, but they’ve pivoted to add a bunch of pins, rocks, and balls to downtown, effectively chasing the Twin Cities’ penchant for playing games while drinking. Pinstripes isn’t entirely new to the Twin Cities. Their metro flagship location has been chugging along in Edina since 2010.

“We’re excited to add a second location to the greater Minneapolis market to complement our Edina venue, which we believe gives us the perfect separation between the two, putting us right in the heart of the vibrant downtown scene in this great city,” said Dale Schwartz, Pinstripes founder and CEO. “This location will be an attractive destination for the community and business guests alike.”

The new Mill District outpost will occupy a whopping 30,000 square feet spread across two floors, including a roof deck offering views of both the Mississippi river and downtown’s skyline. They're promising 10 bowling lanes, six indoor and outdoor bocce courts, and a bistro serving Italian-American fare with a curated wine cellar -- plus an additional event space with accommodation for up to 1,000 guests.

If this feels like a bold gamble "in this economy," as They say, consider that this announcement arrives well over a year before the venue’s anticipated opening date. Organizers expect we'll have to wait until "spring of 2021” to go bowling before catching a matinee of Macbeth, or huck some bocce balls ahead of Night of the Iguana.