Minneapolis organization set to break ground on food business incubator on city’s Northside

(KSTP) — A Minneapolis organization is weeks away from breaking ground on a $21 million project that aims to help residents find success.

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network will open a commercial kitchen to help entrepreneurs and the community. 

Michael Feng’s first stop to success is his BianDang food truck, but prepping the food can get pricey.

“It’s very difficult for us to secure a suitable and affordable commercial kitchen space,” he said. “Commercial kitchen space is very scarce in the Twin Cities.”

Feng had to travel to Wisconsin just for production, which added an extra layer of stress to the business.

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network, or NEON, is hoping to change that. 

“We want to turn north Minneapolis from a drive-thru to a destination,” Warren McLean, NEON’s president, said.

On the Northside of Minneapolis off West Broadway Avenue, the parking lot next to the Capri Theatre will be transformed into a commercial food kitchen with nearly 300 businesses.

The affordable production facility will give entrepreneurs the option to prep food and sell it in-house.

“This is a food desert, and so by having a healthy food option, you have an opportunity to provide better health for the community overall,” McLean said.

The food incubator will also have affordable, healthy options for residents while entrepreneurs strive to make a profit and build wealth.

“North Minneapolis has been disinvested in. So it’s now an opportunity to really invest,” McLean said. “It’s important to our clients and important to the community. It has a lot of what I consider unleashed creativity and underlying underutilized potential.”

Feng’s creativity does not stop with his food truck.

He explained having a space in the commercial kitchen means starting his own restaurant won’t feel out of reach.

McLean explained that NEON’s clients will have access to the commercial kitchen as entrepreneurs. If you have inquiries about renting space, contact the organization.

Construction crews will break ground in October. The goal is to wrap up construction in November 2025.