The Gandhi Mahal restaurant off Minneapolis’ East Lake Street burned down during the civil unrest in 2020, but it's been serving customers out of the Seward neighborhood Indian restaurant Curry in a Hurry in the interim while its former location on 27th Avenue is rebuilt. Owner Ruhel Islam isn’t envisioning merely a return of the restaurant but instead is developing a multipurpose hub catered to community needs. With a goal to open in 2025, Islam is working with partners like the Lake Street Council for funding and counseling toward a “21st-century building,” he says, equipped with an aquaponics food production system, a food seed bank, a food court-style restaurant with diverse cuisines, workforce housing, a corner store, and other resources for a neighborhood with many needs.

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