FSR November 2022

T he Twin Cities have faced difficult times in recent years, but signs are pointing to a prosperous and equi table future for all, and socially minded res taurants can be part of these changes. Minneapolis is the second largest eco nomic center in the Midwest, coming in only behind the Windy City, and boasts one of the highest concen trations of major cor porate headquarters in the country, includ ing multiple Fortune 500 companies. The city even recorded the lowest unemploy ment rate in U.S. his tory in August, logging a mere 1.8 percent. Min nesota ranks fifth in the nation in terms of agri cultural production, per the U.S. Department of Labor and Industry, and its most populous city is poised to take advan tage of the $17 billion industry. The potential economic and environ mental benefits of Min neapolis are, to say the least, abundant. The dining scene reflects this abun

Minneapolis

POPULATION: 3,605,450 GROWTH IN HOSPITALITY JOBS: 11.2%

dance, with a growing and diverse population; the city’s Metropolitan Council projects it will gain more than 800,000 residents over the next 30 years. This fertile dining landscape has

enabled exciting new concepts to find footing. Case in point: Owamni by The Sioux Chef, a modern Indigenous res taurant helmed by Dana Thompson and chef Sean Sherman. The restaurant, which opened in 2021, takes a decolonized approach to its menu, foregoing foods colonists brought

to the Americas centu ries ago, such as dairy, in favor of native ingre dients. The concept earned Sherman a third James Beard Award— his first for Best New Restaurant—and is one the most noteworthy entries in Minneapolis’s ever-expanding catalog of innovative new res taurants.

OWAMNI’S ZERO-PROOF COCKTAILS

HEIDI EHALT / ADOBE STOCK (2)

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

NOVEMBER 2022