When people think of Marshall-based Schwan Co., they likely think of frozen pizza. The company’s brands include Red Baron, Tony’s and Freschetta. The company does not seem like a natural fit for the North Loop area of downtown Minneapolis, which has arguably become the city’s hippest neighborhood.

But Schwan’s is gearing up to open Edwards Dessert Kitchen this summer in the renovated Lowry Morrison Building on Washington Avenue North. The company’s first-ever retail concept will offer decadent desserts — the company is billing it as “the ultimate destination for unapologetic indulgence.” The menu will also include coffee from St. Paul-based True Stone Coffee Roasters and a cocktail menu developed with the help of Minneapolis-based Tattersall Distillery.

“The North Loop is the perfect location for Edwards Dessert Kitchen as it is a growing community with a mix of millennials to boomers, and single people to families. The North Loop is a neighborhood where the food culture is rich and it is already a destination for those living in the Twin Cities, making it a prime place to open,” said Stacey Fowler, Schwan’s senior vice president of product innovation and development, in a statement to Twin Cities Business.

Schwan’s ranked as the 154^th largest private company in America on Forbes’ 2017 list of America’s Largest Private Companies with estimated annual revenue of $3 billion. Schwan’s products are available through home delivery, retailers and food service customers.

The dessert kitchen takes its name from Edwards, one of Schwan’s brands of frozen pies. The company also owns the Mrs. Smith’s brand of frozen pies.

The Lowry Morrison Building, which dates to 1879, is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Minneapolis, but has been standing vacant for many years. The property is owned by restauranteur John Rimarcik who owns the Monte Carlo, a North Loop institution.

Minneapolis-based Element Commercial Real Estate is serving the project’s development consultant and handling the leasing.

JoAnna Hicks, CEO of Element, said that eyewear retailer InVision is moving from another North Loop location to a ground floor space at the building.

The building’s second and third floors, with a total of about 9,300 square feet, are being marketed as office space. Hicks said that she expects to have signed leases for both floors by the end of the month. Hicks notes that demand for North Loop office space is strong.

“They’re small boutique offices,” said Hicks. “But we have really excellent occupancy on that whole block.”

_{Another rendering of the Lowry Morrison Building in the North Loop neighborhood. (Image from Element Commercial Real Estate)}