The lights are coming back on at Dark Horse, the Lowertown bar that closed earlier this year after nearly a decade in business.

The hospitality group behind Can Can Wonderland and St. Paul Brewing is reopening the bar and restaurant in July, with chef Shane Oporto and partner Sarah McDonough at the helm.

Oporto most recently cooked at Degidio’s on West Seventh and previously, before each closed, ran the kitchens at Octo Fishbar in Lowertown and Minneapolis fine-dining hotspot La Belle Vie. Meanwhile, McDonough comes to Dark Horse from a role as the general manager at Can Can Wonderland.

The name of the establishment will remain the same — and it’ll retain “the same vibrant neighborhood energy that made the original location so beloved,” new owners say — but the team is planning to update the look of the space as well as tweak the food and drink menu, according to a spokesperson for Eclective, the ownership group.

Look for an opening date shortly after July 4th, and more information on menus to come.

“I’m confident (the new owners) will do a phenomenal job serving St. Paul,” former owner Paddy Whelan said in a news release Tuesday. “I look forward to hoisting a pint with you soon. Cheers!”

Dark Horse’s initial closure in February came during what felt like a particularly rough winter for food and drink in Lowertown and across St. Paul; we lost both established spots and favorite newcomers including Saint Dinette, Burning Brothers brewery, Chip’s Clubhouse and Hey Bear.

But it’s not all bad news: In addition to the rebirth of Dark Horse, several iconic restaurants reemerged this year after pandemic- or construction-related closures; spots like Khue’s Kitchen and Razava Bread Co. have opened; and new options like coal-fired pizza in Lowertown are still on the way.

Dark Horse Bar & Eatery: Opening summer 2025 at 250 E. Seventh St.