Broders won’t reopen Terzo restaurant in Minneapolis after flooding, but will expand deli

Charlie Broder’s inbox is filled with messages and memories.

On Friday, he and his family announced that Terzo, the Minneapolis restaurant and wine bar at 50th Street and Penn Avenue S., will not reopen after a Feb. 13 water main break flooded the restaurant and several neighboring businesses. The damage left the restaurant “unrecognizable.”

“The process is enormous — to undertake an entire restaurant rebuild,” said Broder. “We were trying to figure out how to do it.”

After nearly four months of uncertainty, they decided they couldn’t. But the news came with a silver lining: The Broders are expanding their deli.

Broders’ Cucina Italiana will take over the former dental office next door and add 50 seats and expanded hours for enjoying cappuccinos and those New York-style pizza slices, along with the comforts and hospitality upon which the family has built their legacy.

Molly and Tom Broder opened Broders' in 1982 after falling in love with the food of Italy. Their three sons were raised inside the restaurant and the subsequent pasta bar that opened in 1994. Both businesses are near 50th and Penn.

Tom Broder died in 2008; during the pandemic, the next generation — sons Charlie, Danny and Thomas Broder — stepped in to lead the company, allowing Molly a little retirement.

Terzo opened on June 4, 2013, a relatively small space with a deep Italian wine selection. A side window to serve its popular porchetta, the traditional slow-roasted pork, and patio came later, making it a neighborhood favorite.

“My brothers and I built it by hand,” recalled Charlie Broder. “Terzo was a greater success than I ever could have imagined. Not only for the joy it gave my family, but for all of the people who came through there, who worked there, who made that place what it became. It was always evolving, and I couldn’t have ever imagined that it would close.”

But four months after what Broder refers to as “the event,” the uncertainty, time, and resources required to rebuild from scratch proved too daunting. It would essentially be opening a whole new restaurant.

Instead, they’ll take the memories and all that experience and move forward, preserving and digging deeper into their family legacy.

“The deli is so exciting,” said Broder. “Thomas, Danny and I are going to build it, just like we built Terzo with our bare hands. Thomas is an amazing carpenter and general contractor — so is my brother Danny.”

If all goes well, the expansion should open in early fall. In the meantime, Broder said he’s excited to spend more time in the businesses they built.

“We go to our restaurants all the time,” said Broder. “We were at the pasta bar last night. It’s such a gift. And I love to share it. I overheard some people, saying it was their last time eating at Broders’ before they move away. Hearing the stories, getting the feelings, seeing the proposals ... I had to thank them for that. For sharing that with my family.

“I’ve never been more optimistic for the future of Broders’. [Closing Terzo] is forcing us to grow and evolve, but we’re primed for that. And we’re looking forward to more good things to come.”