The Strawwwwwberries Pannekoeken includes a hefty serving of strawberries on top of a traditional pannekoeken. Photos: Latuff’s Pizzeria & Pannekoeken Huis
The former St. Louis Park morning mainstay has been revived in Plymouth.
Latuff’s Pizzeria has been a cornerstone of the Plymouth restaurant scene since its founding in 1971 by Mike and Barb Latuff. Over the years, the Highway 55 establishment has cultivated a loyal base of followers, one of whom was determined to be a part of its next chapter. Quang Nystrom grew up in the area and identifies Latuff’s pizza as his favorite since a young age. After years in the corporate sphere, he was ready for a change and approached the Latuffs, saying he was interested in taking over the pizzeria after they retired. “When the opportunity came to buy the Latuff’s business, my wife [Kelly Westhoff-Nystrom] and I jumped at the chance,” he says.
The couple took over in 2024, and Nystrom began contemplating how to fill the restaurant during the empty morning hours. Inspiration struck when he visited a few local breakfast spots and took note of the long wait times. “Then it hit me: There was demand for more breakfast spots,” he says. But building a breakfast menu from scratch is easier said than done, and Nystrom wanted to find an idea that set Latuff’s Pizzeria apart from the rest. “I had an old server that worked for [Latuff’s Pizzeria] part time, and she used to work at Pannekoeken Huis,” Nystrom says. The old-school, Dutch breakfast diner closed its St. Louis Park location in 2024, but the server was still in contact with its former owner, Derek Moberg. “I met with him, bought the recipes and name, and hired him and his team to come over eventually,” Nystrom says.
Along with pannekoekens, Latuff’s Pizzeria & Pannekoeken Huis also serves up breakfast favorites like the Ham & Mushroom Medley Skillet.
The merger took one year—plus a 1,000-square-foot kitchen remodel—before it got off the ground this past June. During that time, Moberg worked on the pizzeria side and collaborated with Nystrom on the eventual Pannekoeken Huis relaunch. “We knew keeping the same recipes, the same staff—as much as possible—and yelling ‘Pannekoeken!’ were important,” Nystrom says. We asked Nystrom to share more about the breakfast launch and Latuff’s Pizzeria’s plans for the future.
How would you describe a pannenkoeken for those unfamiliar with the Dutch pancake?
It is a cross between a souffle, a traditional pancake and a crêpe. The story goes [that the Dutch] yell “Pannekoeken!” because it used to come out of the oven 6–8 inches high, so they would yell to let people see how high it was before it deflated. Now it’s just a fun tradition to yell out.
Pannekoeken Huis breakfast sides including slices of French Toast is available a la carte.
Moberg runs breakfast at Latuff’s Pizzeria and brought over some of his former staff from Pannekoeken Huis. What has the merger been like so far?
Wonderful, but it has its challenges. The pizzeria staff has to learn the breakfast menu and vice versa, since there is crossover at lunch when you can get both menus. We like to say, “Breakfast by day, pizza by night and both in between.”
How about the community reception so far?
It’s been great! We have loyal pizzeria customers that are trying pannekoeken, many for the first time, and we have the loyal Pannekoeken Huis customers coming back to their beloved restaurant and trying the pizza. Without our followers, none of this would even be possible.
Do you foresee any changes to Latuff’s Pizzeria or Pannekoeken Huis on the horizon?
Menu updates for sure. We just introduced the Breakfast Pizza and more new menu items to combine the Italian and Dutch flavors such as Pannekoeken Pizza and Ricotta Pancakes.
Latuff’s Pizzeria & Pannekoeken Huis
Facebook: Latuff’s Pizzeria
