An upscale American eatery is set to open in downtown Prior Lake on Monday.
PLate on Main, or simply PLate, will offer entrees not available at other restaurants in town as well as beers, cocktails and wine, co-owner Bill Peterson said.
While the building is co-owned by Peterson and his wife, Lori Peterson, the restaurant venture itself is shared by the couple, son and building architect Andrew Peterson, general managers Matthew Winter and Matt Kearney and chefs Miguel Urrutia and Honorio Rivera.
“What you have is a group of people who enjoy being together, so we’d like to create a family atmosphere among ourselves, and we’d like that to be something our customers feel,” Bill Peterson said.
After having owned a cabin in Prior Lake since 1998, the Petersons moved to Prior Lake full time in 2013.
“We’re at a stage of life where we go out to restaurants a lot,” Bill Peterson said. “We got to the point where we recognized that Prior Lake could use another restaurant.”
The Petersons wanted to create a revival in downtown Prior Lake, similar to Wayzata or Excelsior — creating restaurants to bring residents downtown in the evening.
The idea has been echoed in the wider community. In the city’s 2017 community survey, 49 percent of residents said Prior Lake had too few dining options and 71 percent were in favor of financial incentives to attract development.
“The city itself needed an uplift done to this part of Main Street,” Bill Peterson said. “It was kind of rough down here. It was an opportunity to jump-start south Main in Prior Lake.”
In 2017, the Prior Lake City Council approved a business subsidy agreement to ease costs of redeveloping the property on Main Avenue into the 3,500-square-foot restaurant with a 725-square-foot patio with $70,000 from an existing tax increment fund and $46,800 from an economic development authority special revenue fund.
“It’s going to provide us with another restaurant option in our downtown area, which is key,” Prior Lake Mayor Kirt Briggs said. “The owners of the building are right here in Prior Lake. The house staff are Lakers as well. That’s the other exciting thing.”
The money went toward demolition, soil corrections, storefront facade, sidewalk and curb work, street lighting and utility connections, Community Development Director Casey McCabe said.
“The space is meant to be an exciting, interesting atmosphere that has the same level of quality as the food and create a place that people want to come eat really good food, but also enjoy being in the space,” Andrew Peterson said. “It adds to the overall experience.”
PLate will be able to seat about 130 people inside, and an additional 40 people on the patio. To the right of the restaurant is the dining area with the bar area and patio to the left. The dining portion also has a private dining room with sliding doors and a small deck.
“We wanted to add amenities we felt were missing,” Andrew Peterson said. “Attention to detail is an important thing on every aspect. Everyone has been really diving in to make sure that everything is thought of as best as possible.”
The restaurant will offer small plates, such as calamari, avocado toast or crab cakes, and main entrees like crab legs, ribeye, filet mignon and prime rib as well as burgers and sandwiches.
“In terms of the menu, there’s no other place that has the dishes we’re going to have here,” Urrutia said.
Urrutia, who owns the El Jefe food truck and El Jefe Cocina & Bar in Minneapolis, created the dishes with Rivera, the head chef at Perron’s Sul Lago in Prior Lake.
“I want to make sure we put plates on the table with food people really want to eat,” Urrutia said. “I want people to enjoy whatever we’re coming out with and, more than anything, for them to come back for more.”
The restaurant will offer a beer and wine menu as well as a variety of cocktail options, including PLate originals and spirit-free cocktails. In July, the Prior Lake City Council approved a liquor license and Sunday on-sale license for PLate valid through June 2019.
Two-thirds of the restaurant will be reservation only, with the remaining portion reserved for patrons who walk in. Reservations can be made by phone at 952-440-5500 or through the Resy app.