According to David Benowitz, co-owner of The Block restaurant and President of Craft and Crew Hospitality, The Block prioritizes creating a relationship with its customers by creating a welcoming environment.

 “For us, it’s more about having an experience when you dine with us, versus going out to eat or having a beverage. We really focus in on our training and really caring about the guests and connecting with them on an emotional level, versus just being an order taker,” Benowitz said. “We take great pride in our people, and really getting to know our guests on a deep level. For me, it’s, our people are an extension of my family.” 

Hostess at The Block junior Evie Gutzke said she enjoys working in her community because she is able to see people she normally doesn’t get to see as well as being able to see the dogs on the patio.

“My favorite part about working at The Block is the dogs and the staff. Everyone there is really nice. I like to see people (from) the community I don’t normally see. It’s fun to see our community in a restaurant environment,” Gutzke said. “I wanted to work at The Block because of the dog aspect of the restaurant. The patio where I can see the dogs is very exciting and is something I wanted to be involved in.”

According to Benowitz, St. Louis Park was chosen as the location because he perceived the area to be in need of a full-service restaurant and he wanted customers to be close to the restaurant.

“We really picked (St. Louis Park) because of the location. What I felt was a need for the area and the community to have a more full-service experience because there isn’t a lot of full-service restaurants in this area,” Benowitz said. “(We wanted to) make sure people are (within) walking distance, if not, very quick drive. There’s a ton of homes in this area and a ton of businesses. Obviously the St. Louis Park Schools (are) nice to have in the area too.”

Junior Selee Olmen said she enjoyed the atmosphere at The Block.

“I thought The Block was really cool. I enjoyed the food and it was a really friendly environment,” Olmen said. “The overall environment felt really welcoming and it was a really cute space to enjoy food and being social.”

According to Benowitz, the restaurant is unique because of the dog-friendly patio that offers menus specific to dogs, as well as offering food not typically available in St. Louis Park.

“There’s about seven different options for dog owners to order off for their pooch.That definitely makes us unique,” Benowitz said. “I think a few of our food offerings are definitely unique to the area (as well as) our shakes. We do both non-alcoholic and alcoholic shakes, which have been perceived very well.” 

Gutzke said The Block is special because they accommodate to many dietary restrictions and leave the patio open all year long.

“They have a lot of options for specific people, they have a lot of vegan and gluten-free options. They are also sensitive to people who have food allergies,” Gutzke said. “We have a dog patio and menu and the patio is open year round.”

According to Olmen, she will be returning to The Block to try many other items on the menu.

“When I looked at the menu, there were a lot of things that I wanted to try and I obviously couldn’t get all of them, so I tried the nachos,” Olmen said. “I do plan on going back because there is a lot that looks really good to me on the menu.” 

The Block is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday 11 a.m.- 2 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m.- 2 a.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.- midnight.