At 2730 West 43rd Street, the door that opened onto Coffee and Tea Ltd. for more than half a century is closed for its first holiday season. Over on France Avenue, at 4351 France Avenue South, France 44 is getting ready to close briefly in January so builders can move a wall. That makes room for a pastry case and an espresso bar that will open every morning at 7:30.
The weeks between those two changes hold most of what happens in Linden Hills this winter. Reindeer Day and the Holiday Wine & Stroll still bring people into the village in December. The morning coffee stop that framed them for decades has changed, though, and the next one isn't built yet. This holiday season falls in that gap.
The storefront that closed on August 31
The 13th Ward newsletter from September 3, 2026 reported that Jim Cone's Linden Hills storefront of Coffee and Tea Ltd. closed on August 31 after more than 50 years. The newsletter remembered Cone as someone who greeted every customer warmly and always donated coffee to community efforts. He often hauled heavy containers of brewed coffee in his own van whenever someone asked.
For years, community events in Linden Hills got their coffee from the same 43rd Street business, often delivered by its owner. According to the ward newsletter, Cone hoped to keep selling online, since the coffee had already been roasted offsite. The storefront itself, though, won't be part of the season.
Coffee and Tea Ltd. isn't the only morning change near the lake this year. Bread & Pickle, the counter at Lake Harriet, says on its website that it is closed for the 2026 season and will return in 2027.
What France 44 is building, and why the timing matters
The Star Tribune reported on September 30, 2026 that France 44 is planning another major remodel. The plan adds a fully equipped bakery to the liquor store and gourmet deli. Baking will happen in the basement. Christian Dean Architecture of Minneapolis is designing street-level space for the pastry case and espresso bar, along with a light refresh of the retail floor.
The order of events is what matters for the holidays. The store expects to close briefly, likely in January, to do the work. So December 2026 is France 44's last holiday season in its current layout, and the new bakery-cafe is aiming to open before the spring thaw of 2027. When it opens, the Star Tribune reports, it will serve specialty drinks and seasonal sweet and savory baked goods from 7:30 a.m. daily.
Benjamin Roberts, the company's cheesemonger in chief, explained the plan to the Star Tribune as the business growing along with the talent it already has. The current team includes an exceptional baker and bread maker. He described a pattern of making things in-house:
"It started with making our own harissas and soups from scratch, adding space for classes and events. Then we began to do whole animal butchery in house, all to control our quality, but also give our employees a chance to grow."
Bread is the next step. Until now, the deli has used Patisserie 46 bread for its sandwiches and in-store baguettes, which the Star Tribune noted sets a high bar. The business has a long history of changing. It started in the late 1950s as Red and Harriet Anderson's bottle shop in downtown Minneapolis. It moved a couple of times before settling into a former service station near France Avenue and 44th Street. Their son Rich Anderson doubled the size of the building, and his son Rick Anderson continued expanding the deli. The family's other businesses include St. Paul Cheese and St. Paul Meat Shop in Mac-Groveland.
The morning map, before and after
Here is where those morning stops stand on the day this post is published, and where they are headed:
| Place | Address | This holiday season | After the holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee and Tea Ltd. | 2730 W. 43rd St. | Storefront closed since Aug. 31, 2026 | Owner Jim Cone hoped to keep selling online |
| France 44 | 4351 France Ave. S. | Open in its current layout | Brief closure likely in January; bakery and espresso bar aiming for before the 2027 spring thaw |
| Bread & Pickle | Lake Harriet | Closed for the 2026 season | Returning in 2027 |
None of these changes affects the evening calendar. The neighborhood's two December events are both put on by the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council, and both are centered on the shops in the village.
December's two dates, both in the village
The season started early. Sunnyside Gardens at 3723 West 44th Street held its annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, November 8. It offered champagne, cider, a pinecone craft station and holiday displays at the garden center and its Trill Boutique. Next on the calendar:
- Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Reindeer Day. The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council's all-ages calendar puts it at the intersection of 44th and Upton. The council's event listing has the date and time.
- Thursday, December 17, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Holiday Wine & Stroll. The council's listing promises holiday carolers, libations and light bites. Local shops will have special offers, swag bags and discounts, and service providers with offices in the village will open their doors too. The evening is sponsored by New Gild Jewelers and starts there. Hours vary by store.
The council's description of the stroll makes a direct appeal: "Your hyper local retailers can absolutely use your support for your holiday shopping season this year!" The listing also offers a small service for anyone who has already finished shopping. Find the gift you want, and "tell us and we'll tell your personal Santa."
The two events are twelve days apart, one on a Saturday morning and one on a Thursday evening. Reindeer Day is concentrated on one corner. The stroll spreads across the whole village.
The weekly calendar in between
The weeks between those dates keep the regular schedule the council posts on its all-ages calendar:
- Monday, 6:30 p.m.: the Initials Game with Trivia Mafia at Wooden Ship.
- Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.: Trivia Mafia trivia, also at Wooden Ship.
- Wednesday, 5 to 11 p.m.: Wine Wednesdays at Picnic, with bottles of wine half off.
- First Thursday of the month: the Tiny Art Gallery at Everett & Charlie, where tiny works of art are for sale, all under $30.
- Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.: happy hour at Wooden Ship, with $2 off full pours.
The first Thursday in December is December 3, two days before Reindeer Day. Under-$30 originals at Everett & Charlie fit the size of most gift lists. Picnic's half-price Wednesday falls on December 16, the night before the Wine & Stroll, which is a handy way to try a bottle before choosing one as a gift.
One last holiday on the old layout
Coffee and Tea Ltd.'s counter on 43rd Street is gone. France 44's espresso bar is still a plan that waits for a January closure. Bread & Pickle is closed until 2027. Reindeer Day on December 5 and the Wine & Stroll on December 17 carry on as before. They happen in a village whose morning anchors are changing.
The France 44 aisles you shop for holiday wine and cheese this year are the version that's about to change. When the store reopens after its January work, a pastry case and an espresso bar will stand where the floor plan is now, open from 7:30 every morning.
At Regan & Hornig, we keep track of the corners of Linden Hills as they change, from 43rd and Upton to 44th and France, because those changes shape what a block feels like day to day. If you're thinking about what the next year holds for your home here, schedule your private consultation.