Birch’s Lowertown to close its doors for good on Oct. 17

On Tuesday, officials at Birch’s Lowertown announced they will close their restaurant and taproom for good later this month.

The business is located inside Market House Collaborative in the Lowertown neighborhood in St. Paul.

"Before COVID-19 the restaurant and taproom were doing very well," said Burt Joseph, owner. "Our lower-level piano bar was filled every week with customers enjoying our live music. Unfortunately, when we were able to reopen after the mandated closure, we were the only restaurant in Market House Collaborative to do so and we weren’t able to regain any momentum. The shortened Saint season and reduced capacity also contributed and we didn’t see the traffic we anticipated."

Birch’s opened in September 2018 alongside Almanac Fish, Peterson Craftsman Meats, Salty Tart Bakery and Octo Fishbar. Several weeks after its opening, the business added a popular lower-level piano bar that featured weekly live music.

"We are keeping the piano bar experience alive by moving it to our Long Lake location," Joseph said in a release. "We took out our very long communal tables and replaced them with small cocktail tables to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Guests will be able to enjoy the same live music and ambiance downstairs in our redesigned brewhouse. We will truly miss the Lowertown neighborhood and hope customers will make the trip out to Long Lake."

Birch’s Lowertown will remain open through Oct. 17 with full service and beer-to-go Wednesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.