Lake Nokomis' The Painted Turtle plans to offer beer, wine sales
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - While The Painted Turtle plans to open up for the season next week at Minneapolis' Lake Nokomis Main Beach, the restaurant is already looking ahead to next summer and plans to start serving alcohol.
In an update this week, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) said it has been working with The Painted Turtle on constructing a new covered seating area to comply with Minnesota liquor laws, which currently prohibit regular beer and wine sales without such a structure.
Plans for the new covered seating area were finalized over the winter, and work on the foundation and footing is being installed this month. The foundation will provide extra patio space this summer, and crews will finish construction on the covered space in the fall.
At the same time, the park board has been lobbying the legislature to change the law, so that a covered space is not needed for alcohol sales. However, The Painted Turtle will add an overhead cover regardless of a law change. But, if the law does change, The Painted Turtle could potentially begin alcohol sales this summer.
Along with adding alcohol sales, The Painted Turtle also hopes to extend its season with the new overhead cover.
The Painted Turtle's first day of the season will be May 20. The restaurant, which offers homemade food and ice cream, opened for business last summer, replacing The Sandcastle.
