Bissinger's last had a shop at Galleria in 2013. This fall the chocolatier came back to the same building, and its storefront next to Good Earth at 1 W. 69th St. is its only location in Minnesota, Bring Me The News reported. The center's directory now lists it as Now Open.
Bissinger's came back to a different Galleria from the one it left. Since Southdale opened its luxury wing in June 2025, the two centers on either side of West 69th Street have taken on separate roles. Southdale has collected the national and luxury labels. Galleria has refilled their old spaces with locally owned shops and home furnishings. This holiday season is the first full one under that arrangement, so a shopping list now sorts by which side of the street each gift comes from.
The Move That Started It
Twin Cities Business reported in September 2025 that tenants including David Yurman and Louis Vuitton had moved across 69th Street to Southdale's new luxury wing. That wing is part of a $400 million renovation with a goal of 50 store openings. According to Simon, which owns Southdale, the redevelopment added more than 50 new brands and experiences in 2025. They included Aritzia, J.Crew and Vuori, plus Max Mara, Moncler and Gucci in the center's Luxury Shops.
Galleria responded by staying local. "With the departure of several long-standing tenants to Southdale, we've embraced the opportunity to realign with our core identity," managing director Jennifer Smith said in a statement quoted by Twin Cities Business. She added that the center "is entering a new chapter with the introduction of several locally owned and highly curated brands."
Galleria's floor plan shows what that has meant over the past year.
What Filled the Spaces at Galleria
| Galleria space | Previously | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Former Louis Vuitton | Luxury fashion | Vivid Home, a local interior design studio and home shop |
| Former Kate Spade | Fashion and accessories | Boll & Branch, home decor and textiles |
| Former Gabberts | Furniture | An expanded Arhaus showroom and Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café |
| Former Rejuvenation, next to Pottery Barn | Home furnishings | West Elm, listed as opening in 2027 |
| Next to Good Earth | — | Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier |
Vivid Home was founded by Danielle Loven in 2007. Faribault Mill, the 160-year-old Minnesota blanket maker, opened its second Edina location at Galleria in September 2025. In its June 2026 coverage, Bring Me The News wrote that as designer brands traded their Galleria space for Southdale, Galleria "has increasingly become a hub for home furnishings."
West Elm's move also connects a third Edina shopping area. The store is leaving Centennial Lakes for the Rejuvenation space next to Pottery Barn, which puts one more home retailer in the same Galleria corridor.
Foxwell Brought Its Design Studio Indoors
Foxwell is the clearest example of Galleria's new direction, and it moved over from 44th & France. Heather and Brad Fox of Fox Homes own the shop, which sells design-led home accessories, tableware, children's items, party goods and gifts. When they announced the move, the owners said the new space "will bring our interior design studio and curated retail experience together under one roof in a whole new way."
Galleria lists Foxwell as open. Its Grand Opening Week ran Nov. 2 through Nov. 8, with daily giveaways and live chain-stitch personalization on the closing Sunday. That makes Galleria a home-and-table shopping stop for the holidays. Foxwell, Vivid Home, Arhaus, Boll & Branch, Faribault Mill and Pottery Barn are all under one roof, and lunch is a short walk away at Sweet Paris or Good Earth.
Southdale's Answer Is a Dining Room
Southdale's biggest addition this fall is a restaurant. Smithson Steak and Seafood opened Oct. 17 at 2160 Southdale Ctr., Mpls.St.Paul Magazine reported. It is owned by Sharon and Randy Stanley, who also run 6Smith in Wayzata and Baldamar at Rosedale Center. General manager Adam Rosenkrantz and chef Chris Dmochowski lead the team.
According to the magazine, most of the steaks come from Swanson Reserve, a corn-fed Angus line raised in Minnesota and neighboring Midwestern states, and they are aged for 40 days. Dmochowski's menu ranges from ribeyes and miso-butter Chilean sea bass to a ricotta gnocchi he has made since 2005. The dining room has dark walnut, Carrara marble, ivory crown molding and real leather upholstery. Rosenkrantz described it to the magazine as a "London steakhouse." Smithson serves lunch, happy hour and dinner daily, with an à la carte weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Southdale's retail plans still point toward national brands. Simon has scheduled Princess Polly, which it calls the brand's first Minnesota location, for the fourth quarter on Level 1 near California Closets. Alo is expected in early 2027 on Level 1 near Center Court, between J.Crew and Kendra Scott.
Chocolate on Both Sides of the Street
Even the chocolate is split along the same lines. At Galleria, Bissinger's has a family history that its company website traces to 17th-century Paris and to Karl Bissinger's move to the United States in 1845. It is returning to a center that once housed it. At Southdale, Simon has slated Läderach Chocolatier Suisse for the fourth quarter on Level 1, next to Pandora.
Galleria brought back a brand with local history in the building. Southdale added a Swiss name to a lineup of national brands.
The Season's Dates, Both Sides of 69th Street
The holiday calendars follow the same pattern. Galleria's events are mostly store-hosted and focused on home goods. Southdale's are built around Santa and live music in common areas. The City of Edina's Centennial Lakes Park, a few blocks south, adds a run of family nights in early December.
- Sunday, Nov. 15. A Pottery Barn event at Galleria, following its Nov. 7 Holiday Open House.
- Friday, Nov. 20. Southdale's Santa Photo Experience is expected to open.
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21–22. The Standard Vintage Market: Holiday Edition at Galleria.
- Thursday, Dec. 3. Photos with Santa at Maetzold Amphitheater in Centennial Lakes Park, with slots at 4, 5 and 6 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 4. Jingle Bingo and Puzzles, Pizza & Pints at Hughes Pavilion in Centennial Lakes Park.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. Holiday Family Bingo at Hughes Pavilion. The same day, Southdale's weekend holiday performances begin.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. Southdale's sensory-friendly Caring Santa visit and the first of two pet photo days with Santa. The second is Sunday, Dec. 13.
- Dec. 5 through Dec. 20, weekends. Southdale's holiday performances run on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20. Performers include Sonic Dream Music, Nate Hance Piano, Laurie Leigh Harpist, The Brasscots and Weber/St. John.
For a single December Saturday, the three venues fit together. Shop for the house at Galleria, catch a set in Southdale's common areas and stay for dinner at Smithson. Family nights at Centennial Lakes run Dec. 3 through Dec. 5, and the city's December 2026 calendar has the full listings.
The changes along France Avenue and 69th Street also affect what it's like to own a home nearby, from which stores are within walking distance to how the area changes in the years after a purchase. If you own a home in the area or are considering one, The Debbie McNally Group follows these changes block by block and can tell you how they apply to your property. Schedule a private consultation.
