Big Minnesota malls begin opening on Monday

Two major malls in the Minneapolis metro will welcome back shoppers on Monday.

The Galleria in Edina will crack its doors open at 11 a.m. and 15 stores and six restaurants will be ready to move merchandise and serve takeout food. 

Arhaus, Crate and Barrel, Design Within Reach, Free People, Nick + Zoe, and Suitsupply will be among the returning retailers, though some will be operating by appointment only. Re-opened food and beverage businesses include Big Bowl, Crave, Kate Spade New York, and People’s Organic.

Rosedale Center in Roseville, which claims to draw 14 million guests annually, will also re-open on May 18, though its site did not list which retailers would be participating. Instead, its website asked visitors to check with each store individually—and also featured a large advertisement for available retail space.

Mall of America chose to wait until June 1 to re-open its doors. “This will allow us to continue creating the safest environment possible for our team members, tenants and guests. It will also allow our diverse set of retail tenants the time needed to rehire, train staff and prepare their individual stores,” said a statement released by MOA.

Under intense political pressure to get business back in business, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz supported the order to open everything on the 18th except bars, restaurants, hair salons, indoor stadiums and movie theaters. Those sites can open on June 1, something that likely played a role in Mall of America’s decision to wait a few weeks.

“It became apparent that you’re trying to weigh whether staying in and building up a little more is worth it compared to the damage it does economically, psychologically, and other health issues,” Gov. Walz told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.