Crooked Pint, the current restaurant in the Curling and Event Center, will close on Sunday, April 5 at 3 p.m. following their Easter brunch buffet. Over the next few months, the restaurant space will remodeled with plans to reopen as The Copperfield in mid-June.
This remodel period is during the slower months of the facility. The intent is to reopen prior to the Chaska Rocks Music Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, June 20, in Firemen’s Park, which is presented by the Rotary Club of Chaska.
On March 30, the Chaska Economic Development Authority approved the lease agreement for The Copperfield to operate the restaurant space in the Chaska Curling and Event Center.
The Copperfield is a neighborhood diner and bar with one current location open in Mendota Heights. It is owned and managed by Hightop Hospitality, which also owns Crooked Pint Ale House, Green Mill Restaurant and Bar, four catering brands and five venues.
With Crooked Pint’s 10-year lease up for renewal this year, the City and Hightop Hospitality Group worked on ways to reinvest in the restaurant with enhanced offerings and atmosphere.
“Crooked Pint has been a great partner, especially as we were introducing a brand-new concept with the Curling and Event Center back in 2015,” said Matt Podhradsky, Chaska city administrator. “Now, we have an opportunity to take what we’ve learned over the past 10 years and go from great to greater.”
What’s new?
The Copperfield will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and feature a grab-and-go market, which will have bakery items and coffee.
The Copperfield has garnered numerous Star Tribune Minnesota’s Best Reader’s Choice Awards including Best Breakfast, Best Pancakes, Best Brunch and Best New Restaurant, to name a few. Customers will also enjoy a new tiered seating area to watch the action in the curling arena.
City staff noted the importance of incorporating a designated curling viewing area into the remodel. It will improve the experience of people visiting the restaurant to watch curling, especially USA Curling national championships, bonspiels and other curling events.
“The Curling and Event Center was built with the intention to bring visitors to Downtown Chaska,” Podhradsky said. “The new curling viewing area will be an awesome addition and help us bring more people to Chaska.”
The city’s lease with The Copperfield will run for 10 years with two additional five-year renewal options to operate the restaurant. Additionally, The Copperfield and Hightop Hospitality will be the exclusive food and beverage caterer for rentals in the Event Center while having other options available for ethnic/religious food needs.
The city will continue to receive 100% of the room rental fees for the Event Center.
“We are thrilled to continue serving the community in Chaska’s historic downtown with The Copperfield,” Paul Dzubnar, CEO of Hightop Hospitality said. “We will continue to embrace the entire Chaska community, the curling members and everyone who hosts special events at the Event Center. We can’t wait to see everyone in June.”
Artist renderings of The Copperfield restaurant space after planned renovations and upgrades.
