St. Kilda Café & Bakery expands in Clive in the former Café 128 space

The St. Kilda restaurant cluster, known for fresh full-service breakfast and lunch, adds another location as it pulls away from downtown Des Moines.

St. Kilda Café & Bakery will open in November or December at 12695 University Ave. Suite 140 at Clive, owners Alexander and Whitney Hall said. The space previously housed the Table 128 Bistro and Bar, which announced its move to downtown Des Moines last month.

Two doors down from the newer St. Kilda in Suite 100, the Halls works on the second location of Franka Pizzeria, the Neapolitan-style restaurant that replaced St. Kilda Surf and Turf in the East Village last year. They signed the leases for both locations at the same time.

“Business has come back very strong and we are very confident about it. You’re in Clive on a weekday and it’s packed, ”said Alexander Hall. “There are so many businesses with hospitals, midsize banks, and the Hy-Vee head office.”

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall said he has seen fewer customers in city centers, particularly in the East Village and particularly during lunchtime.

“I think downtown hasn’t come back,” Hall said. “We miss the events. There were a lot of events going on that really helped our business.

At the temporarily closed St. Kilda Café & Bakery at 1013 Locust St., Hall continues to use the space as an event venue. After missing funding for the space through the Restaurant Recovery Act, Hall hopes to reopen the full-service cafe in spring 2022.

Meanwhile, at Valley Junction, business is booming at St. Kilda Collective, Hall’s first suburban business. Hall is hoping that a restaurant serving healthier full-service breakfasts and lunches will also thrive in Clive, where few breakfast options are currently available.

The new Franka and St. Kilda Café & Bakery are undergoing extensive renovations by Knop Architects ahead of their opening, with Franka due to open in mid-September and St. Kilda to follow shortly thereafter.

“One thing that excites me is going to one place and being able to be in both restaurants,” Hall said.

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The St. Kilda Café and Bakery will serve a menu similar to that of the original downtown St. Kilda. It will operate at the same times: 7 am-4pm every day.

Elle Wignall covers meals for the Register. Contact her at ewignall@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ElleWignallDMR.