Coming Soon – Ties Lounge and Rooftop

Arising from humble beginnings, a brand called MPLS Ties emanated onto the Minneapolis promotional party and entertainment scene. MPLS Ties owners Tommy Joyce, Gene Sanguma, and Stevie Moman came together from different career paths to create Ties with the goal of bringing together the community as a whole, during a time when division seemed to be the most prevalent. Prior to the COVID outbreak, the three worked together to create promotional events in bars and clubs through pre-existing venues across the city, including Crave and Pourhouse,  and did so with great success, but this success didn’t come without tribulation. 

According to Sanguma, “At our very first event, we were only able to attract about 60 people. This was extremely humbling and showed us the time and effort we needed to put into our brand to make sure it never happened again.” Following that event, their leadership and promotional efforts proved to shine, as they were able to bring in over 800 people to future promotional events.

Following the pandemic and civil unrest, the trio looked to fluctuate from the ‘norm’ of Minneapolis nightlife, and looked to create an experience that followed their own sets of beliefs. With inclusion at the forefront of their mission, they set out to bring the city a unique experience that clearly ‘ties’ all demographics of people throughout the city together. The trio’s entrepreneurial spirit provided them with skills necessary to do just that. On March 12th, the Ties Lounge and Rooftop will open its doors to customers who want to experience the values that Minneapolis nightlife has been missing. Through their own experiences, the Gen-Z trio looks to provide a space of diversity and entertainment with their own business. 

Ties Lounge and Rooftop, located in the former Rojo Mexican Grill space on Nicollet Mall, will provide a single space with four floors, each encapsulating a different vibe. The main floor will provide an open space for those of all ages to enjoy day and night. TouchTunes will allow the customers to choose the music that they want to hear. 

Upstairs will include a chill lounge with a bar providing ready-to-go cocktails, local beers and other canned beverages. An Instagram room is located next to the upstairs bar, providing a unique space for customers to take pictures – a future staple of the Ties Lounge and Rooftop. Above this, the rooftop will include a food kiosk, and a great place to hangout with an awesome view of the city. Downstairs provides a ‘premium’ experience for those that want to order from a premium drink menu including rare bottles and cocktails, vibe with the DJ’s and be involved in a club-like experience.

Food on the main level will be crafted by chef Joshua Hedquist of Joey Meatballs. Hedquist is one who believes in second chances, and through his work with The Redemption Project, is able to provide second chance employment to those with criminal records. Ties sought to find a food provider whose ideology aligned with their own, and Hedquist was the perfect match. His menu includes pizza, pasta, and wings, all of which are 100% homemade, and put the top restaurants in Minneapolis to the test.

Ties goal is to make every corner of the building available and enjoyable to anyone and everyone. Best said in their mission statement, “The goal is simple, tie the community together through a venue that has it all. Where a diverse group of people can come together, where Ties is a welcoming environment for all people and a positive contributor to the city.” It’s not just a bar or nightclub, it’s an experience. Ties hopes to use the space for much more than that, and is open to ideas, with hopes that weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, business meetings and much more can take place in the space. 

The Ties trio states that they want to bring Nicollet Mall back to life through the values of inclusion and generosity, but their future goals don’t stop there. In their eyes, “It’s not about the money. The money that we make will be invested into the community in hopes that we can make a positive lasting impact on the city.” Ties hopes to create exciting fundraising events to raise money for the many local causes that they hope to benefit in the future. Downtown is a very important part of the city of Minneapolis, and Ties hopes to be a force pushing it in the right direction. “If we can begin to push the domino just a little, in order for it to fall in the future, then we did our job.”