05/29/2026
The Twin Cities is home to a powerful community of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) entrepreneurs who shape the way this region eats, shops, and cares for one another. 🏆From award-nominated restaurants to mission-driven wellness and retail brands, these businesses bring culture, creativity, and heart into everyday life across Minneapolis–St. Paul.
In honor of National AANHPI Heritage Month, this is an invitation to explore, support, and celebrate AANHPI-owned businesses and organizations that keep the Twin Cities vibrant all year long.
👩🍳 Restaurants and Dining
A wide range of AANHPI-owned restaurants offer both tradition and innovation:
→ Vinai MN (Northeast Minneapolis): Chef Yia Vang highlights Hmong culture through a nationally recognized dining experience.
→ Quang Restaurant (Eat Street): A longtime local favorite known for Vietnamese pho, banh mi, and fresh noodle dishes.
→ Staff Meeting (Eat Street Crossing): A go-to for Pacific Island street food and Filipino-inspired comfort meals.
→ moto-i (Uptown): The first sake brewpub outside Japan, serving house-made noodles and steamed buns.
→ Hai Hai Restaurant (Northeast Minneapolis): A lively space featuring Southeast Asian street food flavors and creative drinks.
🍵 Cafes and Tea
These local spots bring intentional sourcing and cultural storytelling into every cup:
→ Càphin Mpls: Focused on Vietnamese coffee traditions, including signature egg coffee and direct-sourced beans.
→ Verdant Tea: A Minneapolis-based brand partnering directly with small tea farmers in China.
→ Coconut Whisk Café: A mission-driven café offering vegan and gluten-free baked goods and breakfast options.
→ Sencha Tea Bar: A trusted destination for loose-leaf teas and Taiwanese boba across multiple locations.
🛍️ Markets and Retail
Shopping local supports both culture and community connection:
→ Hmong Village (St. Paul): A large indoor market with over 250 vendors offering food, produce, and handmade goods.
→ Komonigoods: A wellness-focused brand rooted in Filipino values of care, connection, and quality.
♥ Services and Wellness
Local service providers continue to make care more accessible:
→ REST Massage Therapy L.L.C (Shoreview): Focused on affordable, high-quality bodywork led by owner Zang Xiong.
→ Total Health Clinic (Columbia Heights): Helping others live and heal naturally through Traditional Chinese Medicine, with 3 major components: acupuncture, herbs, and bodywork.
🙏 Community storytelling and media:
Asian Media Access – “Connecting the Disconnected” – is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community media arts education agency using media, culture, and technology to support creative solutions for challenges facing AANHPI communities.
🔎 Discover More
Want to discover more AANHPI-owned businesses in the Twin Cities? Visit aapibusinessmn.org to explore the Asian American Business Resilience Network's directory of local entrepreneurs.
Every choice to dine, shop, and invest with AANHPI-owned businesses is a choice to honor heritage and build a more inclusive local economy.
