Thirty Bales, the Midwestern-focused restaurant on Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins, suddenly went dark over the weekend, its usually busy patio and bar sitting empty. The abrupt closure, first flagged by business outlets, has regulars and neighboring retailers talking about yet another change on a block already reshaped by recent development. For now, what happens next at the Mainstreet space is anyone’s guess.
According to the Twin Cities Business Journal, the restaurant closed over the weekend, and the outlet described Thirty Bales as “an anchor to a rapidly changing downtown Hopkins.” The publication provided the first public word of the shutdown but reported no timeline or plan for any potential reopening.
How Thirty Bales Landed on Mainstreet
The storefront at 1106 Mainstreet has hosted restaurants for decades, and Thirty Bales arrived after a significant overhaul in 2018. As reported by the Star Tribune, owners Todd DuPont and Tom Hutsell reworked the former Big 10 space and launched Thirty Bales with a regional Midwestern menu and a lively patio scene.
Mainstreet Makeover Puts Spotlight on the Block
The closure comes as downtown redevelopment continues on the same block. A 2023 report in Finance & Commerce detailed plans for the mixed-use Ovation apartment project at the former Hopkins Cinema site and noted that the proposal would “preserve and improve the adjacent Thirty Bales restaurant building.” City planning materials have also mentioned upgrades to the restaurant parcel in broader discussions about the future of Mainstreet.
Website Still Says “Open for Business”
Online, though, you would not know anything has changed. Thirty Bales’ website still lists the Mainstreet address and regular hours on its Visit and Contact pages, with no public notice of a permanent closure. The listing continues to show the 1106 Mainstreet address and a reservations phone number, and online reservation and listing pages had not been updated at the time of reporting…