Molly Herrmann is the operational energy driving the reinvention and community integration of Graze Food Hall by Travail. As director of operations, she channels the Travail Group’s adventurous spirit into

Holding court in the center of Wayzata, Lindsay Pohlad has cemented her status as a leading restaurateur who knows what people want. During the height of the pandemic, Pohlad (the

Jay Ettinger is a force in downtown Minneapolis; a friend of people who make things happen. He’s owned nightclubs, is an investor in Jester Concepts (see entry on Brent Frederick),

Gavin Kaysen has, of course, established a nationally recognized fine-dining empire in Minneapolis. The two-time James Beard Award winner (Rising Star 2008, Best Chef: Midwest 2018) runs Spoon and Stable,

Eli Fhima’s earliest memories were formed at his father David’s ’90s-era hot spot, Minneapolis Café. He remembers scarfing rigatoni with Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper: “I wanted to be a part

This past year was a major pivot for Jester Concepts, which is quickly taking on the mantle of the region’s largest and most ambitious restaurant operator. Brent Frederick once put

TV, President Obama, the internet and social media made Matt’s Bar a national sensation, “Jucy Lucy” into a household term. Longtime GM Amy Feriancek then made it her mission to

Jami Olson spent two decades as a bartender and restaurant manager before becoming a restaurateur. “You gotta be willing to get dirty,” she says. “And you have to do what

Because of Snack Media, his savvy social media company, Enkhbileg “Billy” Tserenbat is known as the sushi guy who drives a giant Sherp truck through the streets and hangs out

Since breaking the traditional restaurant format 15 years ago using full-time cooks as servers, Travail’s owners have never stopped innovating. They built Travail 2.0 in Robbinsdale with their own hands,

The craft beer market ain’t what it used to be. Rising supply costs, a saturation of taprooms, and a host of other factors have led to the closure of several

During the pandemic, Peter Bian and Linda Cao sold their family-recipe Chinese dumplings via Instagram, with people stopping by their condo garage for pickup on Saturdays. In 2022, the married

The weekend that A Bar of Their Own opened in March, patrons were already asking Jillian Hiscock if she had plans for a second location. Judging by lines out the

Though Myriel in St. Paul has been open since 2021, Karyn Tomlinson was just named a Best New Chef 2024 by Food & Wine. Perhaps it’s the recent interest in

While local competitor Caribou Coffee downsized its downtown retail footprints, Dunn Brothers Coffee is expanding—and not just in the Twin Cities. In spring, it announced plans to open 250 new

It’s something when the country’s leading critic of all things smoked meats gives you a mention. Texas Monthly named Animales its only notable spot in the Upper Midwest, adding it

In 2005, Ansari assumed the Brooklyn Center facility that housed his parents' abrasives manufacturing business, launched Surly Brewing Co., and opened the tap on a burgeoning craft beer revolution. Surly's