Another pizza/pasta restaurant is not needed in the area; we are over-saturated with those. How about a restaurant serving Scandinavian cuisine?

While iI can't wait for slice pizza, Parking is going to be much worse. Fast service pizza joints bring a lot of traffic.

As a neighborhood resident, I can't imagine how the city council could allow a business that will bring an incredible amount of additional traffic to this area. There is already an overuse of bikes because its the main road to lake Harriet and cars trying to cut through to the expressway! How can the city council just approve something without making any plans to deal with both the additional bike and car traffic? I'd like to know what the plan is for dealing with the traffic?

I certainly understand concerns about parking in the area. I would guess The Convention Grill's parking lot and the neighborhood's streets are suddenly going to be even busier. That said, I'm pretty stoked to try Hello Pizza as soon as it opens.

It will be nice to have another restaurant we can walk to if we choose. It is even better not having another vacant store front in Morningside. Parking will be a challenge however, maybe the new mcMansions in the neighborhood can park cars in their yards. Oh that's right, the house takes up the whole lot so there isn't any room for parking. I forgot. I am also sure that the city checked everything and made sure they dotted their i's and crossed their t's before they gave the permit to Hello Pizza. If it wasn't them it would be someone else. Morningside Hardware, Cameleon, Franklin Street Bakery all failed in that spot. Let's all try to help this new venture be successful. If you want to get rid of traffic in Morningside have all the private school toaster drivers take France to 42nd instead of Grimes. And bicycles are the way of the future so get used to it. I haven't heard the freeway or crosstown called an expressway ever. That's not a Minnesota term. Enjoy, just sit back and see what happens.

Wow mary Jo, you got me! I have only lived in Morningside for 24 years (as evidenced by my use of the word expressway). You also assume that I am against bikes instead of actually understanding that my position is not that at all. I actually live on sunnyside, and there are a tremendous number of bikers that use Sunnyside to get to Lake Harriet. The city must understand how people actually are using Sunnyside and protect the bikers and walkers, as well as increasing safety (read speed control) for the cars. This is a unique street because we have so many people all trying to share the road. Your obvious insular view of Morningside is unfortunate. There are no McMansions on Sunnyside which is the street directly affected by Hello Pizza as far as parking and increased traffic of all kinds. The city does need to plan for the increased traffic and how everyone will share the road. Cary Teague cannot just issue permits and claim that this is the same use as Franklin Bakery while also not making any plans to deal with the increase of traffic of all kinds. And, yes, Mary Jo, there is a great big world outside of Edina and people who use words that might seem very foreign to you---like the word expressway! I've lived here for 24 years, but even if I moved in last month from somewhere else, I would still be able to have an opinion on this issue. That, mary Jo, is the true wave of the future!

What I found fun was listening to the city council prohibit zoning this site from having restaurant table service because the place does not meet the parking standard. But they do allow Hello Pizza to have you place a counter order, go sit at one of the many tables, and then "runners" and "table cleaners" not "wait-staff" deliver your food and drinks. You don't get to carry it to the table yourself. One of the employees is Councilperson Bennett's son so she excused herself from voting. While they had straight faces I was nearly rolling on the floor with laughter.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy to see them move in. I will probably go there if can find a place to park within 2 blocks. I do not suggest any kind of Chicago style fix. But there was a gladhanded fix for a business everyone wanted which you could tell from the minute the assistant city manager introducing the matter to to council turned and smiled at owner "Kim" and winked at her.

The sidewalk outside hello pizza wasn't cleared and is very difficult to maneuver. Hopefully, this is just an oversight and not an indication of the special treatment ms. Kim has been given by the city?!

Wow! The comments are so nasty here so I thought I would add some of my own:
1) wh cares if someone calls it a freeway or expressway? You all know what people mean and if you are so proud to be from Chicago then go back!! However I bet you are really not from Chicago but a Suburb outside and like to come here to MN and act like we are all rednecks and cannot speak.
2.) We are not saturated with pizza places, only bad ones. The pizzeria on 50th (Mozza Mia) sucks, is too expensive and too crowded. Broders sucks too and is overrated. Pizza Lola is the only one that has proved worthy so I assume Hello will not be any exception. The others hopefully will close.
3) McMansions have no place in this conversation and again there is always some loser who has to complain about something and get on soap box over an issue. These McMansions protect your home value and perhaps add to it. If it was not for them you would have renters and low income housing come in your neighborhood rather residents who invest in the community. Get a grip!
I agree parking will be a challenge. I hate bikers but we have to live with them and people who are driving their Beamers need to slow down and be wary of bikers and Pedestrians who frequent that intersection. However, I think having a successful business is better than a vacant store front any day so please support this effort.

I'd advise y'all to calm down. You have a proven, successful restaurateur, who offers an absolutely exceptional product, moving into your neighborhood. Bravo! Do you have any idea how many neighborhoods around the country would kill for such a resource? So traffic backs up for two seconds. So people have to walk another half block to eat something delicious. We should be grateful for such problems.