2022, Overachievers: Maybe it was pandemic foresight that pushed restaurateur Erik Forsberg to grow outside the restaurant industry. His Erik the Red, Devil’s Advocate, and Dan Kelly’s Pub were all popular downtown Minneapolis spots that closed. But Forsberg’s interests and drive led him in new directions. He’s a founding partner in Otsego-based Munnin Organics, a plant-based wellness company that focuses on the healing properties of CBD. He’s also a partner in Grantsburg, Wisconsin-based Naked Beef, a venture that connects locally raised, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef from small farms direct to the consumer. Most of his restaurants will reopen by spring, Erik the Red in a new Richfield location. 

2018, Emerging: Restaurateur Erik Forsberg is becoming a force in downtown Minneapolis hospitality. This year he moved his Devil’s Advocate bar into the old Dan Kelly’s space while refining Erik the Red, his “barbarian” barbecue bar across from U.S. Bank Stadium. Forsberg has shown a knack for fresh concepts that feel authentic—and just work. Look for more from him as downtown landlords continue their search for food concepts that pay the ground-level rent.