Former Elephant Bar to become all-day restaurant Lost Fox

Jess Fleming, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·2 min read

Feb. 25—A new animal is moving into the former Elephant Bar in Lowertown, St. Paul.

Figuratively, that is.

Hospitality veterans Ann and Michael Rose are opening Lost Fox, an all-day operation that, similar to the short-lived Elephant Bar, will open as a coffee bar and turn into a full-service restaurant around happy hour and into the evenings.

Ann Rose worked at Dark Horse Bar & Eatery on nearby East Seventh Street for six years and fell in love with Lowertown. She said that the area is in need of a place that's open long hours, seven days a week, and that the Fourth Street space is perfect for that.

"We love food, we love atmosphere, we love going out," Rose said. "We want to create a space where people want to go. We want a space where we want to go."

Michael Rose has been working at Caffetto Cafe, a coffee house across the street from The Wedge Co-op in Uptown, for around 10 years. He'll kick off the coffee shop, which could open in as soon as a few weeks, pending food licensing. They'll start with a full coffee program and sandwiches, with plans to add more food later.

The full-service restaurant will open after the pair is approved for a liquor license — probably sometime around the end of May. The restaurant will have a full bar.

Rose said the menu will be "elevated street food" that's delicious but also easy for a skeleton kitchen staff to prepare and get out to customers quickly. They're big taco fans, so expect some great ones.

As for the decor, Rose said they won't have to do much — it was remodeled when Elephant Bar opened in 2019.

"We're going to paint, add some murals, make it a little cozier," Rose said. But we'll still have the white leather chairs, dark wood tables, concrete bar and exposed brick."

The coffee shop area, which will be a cocktail lounge in the evenings, seats about 40. There are another 40 in the dining room, and the bar can seat 15 people.

Rose said there are a lot of large groups, like condo boards, who are always looking for flexible space to hold their meetings, and the cocktail bar/coffee shop space is perfect for that.

Overall, they're just looking forward to being part of the neighborhood.

Lost Fox: 213 E. Fourth St., No. 100, St. Paul