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New restaurants opening in St. Paul as industry hopes for a rebound

By March 31, 2022December 23rd, 2025No Comments

By Callan Gray KSTP

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It’s been a challenging two years for the hospitality industry, from shutdowns to restrictions to new waves of COVID cases. Heading into spring and summer, however, there’s hope for a boost in business.
“We want to go out and enjoy a meal again and have normalcy,” said Brianna Le.
Le is the CEO and co-owner of Em Que Viet, a new Vietnamese restaurant opening in St. Paul. The family-owned and operated business is moving into an old bookstore on Grand Avenue.

“It was a blank slate we could make ours,” said Le. “It was perfect for us.”
Em Que Viet is expected to open this spring. It’s an extension of a legacy that started in Northeast Minneapolis. Her husband’s family opened Que Viet in 1980.
“We’re actually the longest-running Vietnamese restaurant in Minnesota,” Le said. “Vietnamese wasn’t a popular cuisine, so [my mother-in-law] did what everyone else was doing. She did a lot of Vietnamese dishes, a lot of stir-fries, and then her egg rolls were what actually caught wind, and everyone loved it.”
Their egg rolls have become a Minnesota State Fair favorite.
The Grand Avenue restaurant will feature those famous egg rolls and bakery items similar to those found at the original location.

Le explained they will also expand on Que Viet’s menu with new recipes.
“We are trying to be more Vietnamese, what my mother-in-law wanted to do, and we’re able to do that now because the taste buds of everyone have grown so much,” said Le. “We’re excited to have everybody try the new flavors that we have. We’re excited for everybody to be in this space.”
Em Que Viet is one of several new restaurants opening in St. Paul.
Service started at Momento, which replaced Pazzaluna downtown, about two weeks ago.

“This is one of a half dozen restaurants that have opened in the last couple of weeks or so,” said St. Paul Downtown Alliance President Joe Spencer, from a table at Momento. “There’s a few more coming.”
Spencer says there’s been new momentum downtown over the last two months, with events picking up at the Xcel Energy Center and theaters. Workers have also started to return to downtown offices.

“Last spring through the summer, through August really, we were doing okay, and we were really recovering pretty well,” Spencer said. “But then in October, November, [with] Delta and then Omicron, it really was not what we were hoping for and delayed this return several more months than we wished it had … We’re really happy to finally feel like we have wind in our sails.”
According to Spencer, the pandemic cost the city about 10%, or 30 to 35, of its storefront businesses. He said about 10 businesses have now come back.
“It’s been a great two months, and it’s just going to keep on ramping up, I think, over the next 45 days,” Spencer said.

There are still challenges facing the restaurant industry. A recent survey from Hospitality Minnesota shows about half of restaurant and foodservice businesses statewide don’t expect to get back to normal until 2023.
“We’re also hearing about half of them are continuing to be concerned about insolvency or going out of business in the next six to twelve months,” said Ben Wogsland, the Hospitality Minnesota executive vice president.
According to the survey, about 66% of restaurants also took on an average debt of $552,659 due to COVID.

“That’s a pretty significant debt for a small or medium-sized business or restaurant here in Minnesota,” said Wogsland.
He also pointed out restaurants face rising food costs and a labor shortage.
“I think the common thing is that everybody is short on everything,” said Le, at Em Que Viet. “The prices of everything is even to me shocking.”

She explained that the price for egg roll wrappers has increased from $30 per case before the pandemic to $140 per case. They’ve also struggled to find employees for the new restaurant, despite advertising hiring bonuses.

“It’s been difficult,” she said. “We’ve done everything from paid job postings, which we spent a lot of money on – more than I expected. We did the free ones on Facebook. We’ve done word of mouth. We’ve done everything. We’ve posted job fair, and the numbers that show up just aren’t there.”

Despite the challenges restaurants face, Le is excited about the future of their restaurant and the industry as a whole in the Twin Cities.
“I think especially recently with the new places that seem to be ready to open, I think we’re all seeing we’re excited,” she said.

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Richard Dobransky

President & CEO

Richard joined Morrissey Hospitality as President in 2018 and accepted the role of CEO in 2023. Under Richard’s leadership, the organization implemented best-in-class solutions to support its hotel, restaurant, and events venue portfolio. He spearheaded efforts to upgrade all internal systems, embrace automated workflows and data analysis, and streamline every aspect of the organization for real-time, accurate reporting and accountability.

Focusing next on the employee experience, Richard oversaw a restructuring of employee compensation to ensure that every Morrissey employee earns more than a living wage. With his team, he improved employee benefits packages and ushered in numerous new initiatives to reflect the needs of employees and promote better work-life balance.

Under Richard’s leadership, the Morrissey portfolio has grown from 5 to 18 owned and managed properties. He oversees a team of over 100 managers and 1,000+ employees, leads efforts to provide authentic hospitality experiences at every location, and is an active coach and mentor to many.

Well respected and highly regarded throughout his career, Richard enjoys annual recognition in the Minnesota Top 100 and Top 500 Business Leaders list, and was named among Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2026 Most Admired CEOs. He serves on the Board of Directors for Visit Saint Paul and The Downtown Saint Paul Alliance.

Richard intrinsically understands the communities he serves, helping to create hospitality concepts that serve as long-lasting, meaningful gathering spaces. He aims each day to make, do, and be better for Morrissey customers, employees, clients, partners, vendors, and community members alike.

Elizabeth Morrissey

Senior Vice President

As Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Morrissey Hospitality, Elizabeth leads the company’s growth strategy with a focus on business development, strategic partnerships, and brand expansion. With nearly a decade of internal leadership experience and deep roots in hospitality, she drives new revenue opportunities, cultivates client relationships, and strengthens the company’s presence in new and existing markets.

Elizabeth began her career at The Saint Paul Hotel before taking on leadership roles at the Waldorf Astoria New York, Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, and Moet Hennessy. She returned to Morrissey Hospitality to help shape the company’s next chapter, progressing quickly from operations into business development. Her background spans hospitality operations, marketing, human resources, and sales strategy — making her uniquely positioned to scale the organization’s impact while preserving our guest-first, people-focused culture.

Elizabeth’s leadership is grounded in purposeful growth: building high-performing teams, elevating client brands, and delivering exceptional service across every property in the Morrissey Hospitality brand portfolio.

Paula Soderberg

Vice President of Human Resources

Paula is a results-driven professional with comprehensive and extensive human resources experience. She is well-versed in labor relations, employee relations, retention, training and development, HRIS, compensation and benefit management, domestic and international recruiting, job description development, HR audits, unemployment hearings, worker’s compensation claim management, and risk and safety management. She is also well versed in Def Leppard — so don’t mention the band unless you want her to talk your ear off.

Paula’s experience helps her foster an optimal working environment through development and deployment of new strategies in recruiting, onboarding, training, job description and standards, benefit administration, and employee development. She is a versatile and motivated leader, with proven communication and organizational skills. She is practical, articulate, and creative with a demonstrated ability to solve difficult issues.

Paula started in hospitality while a teenager at her family’s restaurant in Stillwater, MN. She continued to work FOH positions while in college pursuing her HR degree (don’t ever let her work BOH. She can’t cook…at all.) She understands operations, allowing her to support management and coach employees effectively. She also has held many HR management roles within healthcare, insurance, telecommunications, and government, but hospitality is her home.

Keith Reardon

Vice President

Keith is a hospitality management professional with 30+ years of experience leading food & beverage operations for hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and sports & entertainment facilities. His peers describe him as a high-capacity, intuitive, creative, thoughtful, and disciplined leader. With years of industry knowledge and experience in multifaceted hospitality environments, he routinely demonstrates strength in strategically building high-performance teams, resulting in stable revenues and profits.

Before joining Morrissey Hospitality, Keith held positions with Ritz Carlton Hotels in Palm Springs, before moving on to Centerplate, where he operated the Colorado Convention Center and opened Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Keith’s passion is restaurant and kitchen design and construction. He recently completed the design and construction of all the hospitality components at Morrissey’s newest location, Tattersall Distillery in River Falls, Wisconsin. Keith is active in the Twin Cities community, serving as Treasurer on the Executive Committee for the Hospitality Minnesota’s Educational Foundations Board, and as an advisor to Visit Saint Paul.

Johnessa Hardyman

Vice President of Finance

Johnessa has always had a passion for finance and accounting. She started her career in community banking and completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting before finding a passion for hospitality in 2012 at The Saint Paul Hotel. Johnessa spent two years working onsite at The Saint Paul Hotel before transitioning to the Morrissey Hospitality Shared Services Office.

Johnessa Hardyman brings over a decade of expertise in hospitality finance to her role as Vice President of Finance at Morrissey Hospitality. Since joining the company in 2012, she has held key leadership positions, including Senior Accountant, Controller, and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Johnessa’s extensive experience spans budgeting and forecasting, cash management, internal and external audits, system transitions, and acquisitions.

With a Master of Science in Accountancy from Saint Mary’s University, Johnessa excels at leveraging financial data to drive informed decision-making. She leads the accounting team with a focus on accuracy, efficiency, and strategic planning, ensuring that financial insights translate into actionable business strategies. Passionate about financial forecasting, she thrives on analyzing how businesses actualize their projections and the impact on cash flow. Her deep understanding of both finance and hospitality makes her an invaluable asset to the organization and its clients.

Amy Houston

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

A Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) with a deep passion for hospitality, Amy blends creativity with strategic vision to build meaningful connections between brands and guests. Her expertise in brand development, campaign execution, and revenue-focused marketing continues to shape Morrissey Hospitality’s growth and industry leadership. Known for her empathetic leadership style, she fosters collaboration and inspires those around her to think bigger and work together to bring bold ideas to life.

Amy Houston brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, hospitality, and sales. Since joining Morrissey in 2020, she has led strategy for 18 independent brands, driving measurable success through data-driven campaigns and innovative storytelling. Under her leadership, the company has transformed its marketing operations, bringing services in-house and streamlining digital platforms to create a more cohesive, results-driven approach.

Callie Kiepke

Vice President of Operations

Callie Kiepke is Vice President of Operations for Morrissey Hospitality, bringing more than a decade of leadership experience across event venues, restaurants, and golf course operations. Known for building strong teams and implementing effective, scalable processes, she plays a key role in driving consistent performance across the organization.

Callie began her hospitality career at 18 and earned a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. After nearly ten years with TPC Twin Cities, she joined Morrissey Hospitality at Bunker Hills Event Center, where she advanced from Catering Sales Manager to Director of Catering and later General Manager. Under her leadership, Bunker Hills became one of the company’s top-performing properties.

In addition to her work at Bunker Hills and Kendall’s Tavern & Chophouse, Callie has supported operations at Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse, played a key role in the opening of Dawn Manor, and is instrumental in strengthening private dining operations. As Vice President of Operations, she leads menu development, systems strategy, and process standardization, with a focus on continuous improvement and exceptional guest experiences.

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