A new Afro Creole Southern restaurant has opened in Minneapolis's Longfellow neighborhood, and it comes with a built-in commitment to opportunity: paid hospitality residencies for young adults baked right into its business model. Square Roots is now serving diners in the neighborhood.
The restaurant is led by founder and community director Jared Brewington alongside executive chef Tony Brown, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. Brewington previously launched other Twin Cities dining ventures, including Official Fried Chicken and Funky Grits, as reported by Yutori. Square Roots operates under a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise structure, pairing accessible dining with a Food Access Fund, per the same account.
Paid Training Built Into the Business Model
At the center of Square Roots' mission is a 22-week paid hospitality residency for young adults ages 18 to 24, offering earned wages, hands-on culinary training, industry certifications, and career placement support, according to details published on the restaurant's own site. The program also offers career pathways in hospitality for young adults, the same source notes. Square Roots' workforce development effort also draws on a high-profile advisory board of Minnesota culinary leaders, including chefs Gavin Kaysen, Mateo Mackbee, and Andrew Zimmern, the Yutori report states.
The Historic Coliseum Building's redevelopment harnessed $28 million in public and private money after it was severely damaged by arson during the May 2020 civil unrest following George Floyd's murder, according to KARE 11. The building sits kitty-corner from the former Minneapolis Police Department Third Precinct, the station noted.
A Building Rebuilt for Black Ownership
The Coliseum's redevelopment was led by nonprofit community developer Redesign Inc. in a co-ownership partnership with three Black business leaders: architect Alicia Belton, consultant Janice Downing, and entrepreneur Shanelle Montana, according to the Local Initiatives Support Coalition, known as LISC. That structure was intentionally designed to foster long-term commercial property ownership for BIPOC entrepreneurs, the organization reported. After sitting vacant for four years following the 2020 fires, the 85,000-square-foot building officially reopened on June 19, 2024, according to KSTP.
The Coliseum's role as an economic anchor for Black-owned business extends beyond any single tenant.
The Building's History
The building itself carries a long legacy. Over its history, the facility has hosted the Coliseum Ballroom, the station reported.
Square Roots' arrival adds a new chapter to that history, blending Afro Creole Southern cooking with a mission to open career doors for young people in the neighborhood. Combining public dining revenue with philanthropic funding to sustain community programming is a hallmark of the social enterprise restaurant model, according to Heavy Table. For the neighborhood, Square Roots represents both a new place to eat and a bet that workforce development can help a restaurant last where others have struggled.
