MOORHEAD — The Black Cat is out of the bag — and has curled up in a new spot at 801 Main Avenue.
Black Cat Bakery co-owners Morgan Laite and Maggie Thoemke turned to Facebook this weekend to officially announce their relocation to the
in Moorhead’s Block E building. Many of their followers had already assumed as much after the bakers posted a photo hint earlier in which they posed by a skull graphic synonymous with Punk Chef’s decor and branding.
The
at 1500 11th St. N., Moorhead, in December 2023. Laite and Thoemke
from that spot after their one-year lease ended and they could no longer afford the rent increase. That location, which formerly housed The Classic Touch Lounge and The Brothers’ Table local foods market/catering business/event space, is now occupied by the owner of VIP Catering.
Helmut Schmidt / The Forum
Laite said they hoped to open their doors in early February. They plan to take advantage of their new space, which is three times larger than their previous storefront. “We’re excited for all the new things we can do with it — more cozy seating, dine-in, eventually we’d like to hold craft nights or game nights here and become a hub for study sessions and meetings,” she said.
In addition to their steady rotation of from-scratch breads and baked goods, they will stir in a few savory options.
“We’re also planning to add breakfast and lunch sandwiches as well as soups down the road so we can be more of a lunch spot, as well as a breakfast/treat place,” Laite said.
More java drinks — including lattes, Americanos and mochas as well as drip coffee — will be on tap. “Maggie and I have 14 years of barista experience between the two of us and love the craft,” Laite said.
And they’re hoping to build a success at a site where three previous restaurant concepts didn’t succeed.
Usher’s House brought a fine-dining concept to the space in 2019, but was closed for a year after state-mandated closings hit the area in mid-March 2020.
It re-opened with a slimmed-down menu, tapas and a more laid-back atmosphere in spring 2021, but lasted until just before Christmas 2021.
opened its doors in early June 2022 and closed in late January 2023.
While COVID-related issues affected these past restaurants, locals have also speculated on social media that the location is hampered by the busyness of the location, which makes it difficult to access Block E from certain directions, as well as parking concerns.
Laite said the building owners have been working with them to create a parking situation that is “more beneficial to customers.”
She also said they believe it’s an advantage to be located across the street from Moorhead’s iconic Dairy Queen and at the corner of one of the city’s busiest intersections. “It’s a more central location and closer to colleges and other businesses,” Laite said. “Being by the colleges and across the street from Dairy Queen will give us great foot traffic and exposure to those driving by.”
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
They also hope their neighborhood bakery/coffee shop/lunch spot vibe will appeal to what Laite calls “the cozy community aspect of Moorhead — the ‘sit down and chat with your neighbors and friends’ mindset.’”
She said progress on the new space has been good, although the commercial kitchen needed a major fit-up. “The business that was here previously took or sold everything except the oven hoods,” she said. “So luckily all of our equipment from our old space came with us. There’s a bit of a fit-up that we are in the middle of but it’s all coming together. ”
The final step will be a state Health Department inspection. The owners submitted their paperwork in late December, Laite said, “so we’re kind of biting our nails and waiting.”
Once that approval comes, the owners said they are anxious to be serving the Moorhead community once again. “We’re very grateful for our community and followers,” Laite said. “They’re so supportive and sweet.”
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