Gerard and Brittney Klass, the co-creators of Soul Bowl are launching their Kickstarter campaign and fourth pop-up restaurant. Gerard, regional chef for Crave and Brittney, most recently service manager for D’Amico have combined their more than 20 years of restaurant experience to bring reimagined soul food to Minneapolis. Soul Bowl is the first, fast-casual build-your-own-bowl soul food concept. Their inspiration for the restaurant concept is threefold. First, the hospitality duo is passionate about continuing the work of places like Sammy’s Avenue Eatery, Breaking Bread Cafe and North Market to provide more fresh food options in the North Minneapolis food desert. Frustrated by the lack of representation of soul food in the city’s buzzing food scene, Soul Bowl looks to finally answer the long-standing question of where can you get good soul food in Minneapolis. Lastly, the couple will bring to their community the same hospitality they experienced growing up at Sunday dinners and summer cookouts at grandma’s house.
The pop-up restaurant will be held at Sunnyside Cafe on Saturday, March 17 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 the duo will introduce “Soul Bowl Hip Hop Brunch” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. With signature items such as the Biggie breakfast sandwich inspired by his famous lyrics “t-bone steak, cheese, egg and Welch’s grape,” as well as the FUBU Chicken and Waffles topped with smoked syrup and a watermelon feta salad. Then at 2:30 p.m. dinner will resume with the regular menu until 6:30 p.m. The menu consists of a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options so everyone may take part in the Soul Bowl experience. The regular menu contains soul food classics like braised collard greens, buttermilk fried chicken and baked mac and cheese. The ”AA” sandwich, sriracha deviled eggs, fusion desserts like the “ill nana” banana pudding and bananas foster mashup and custom alcohol-free beverages like the “overnight celebrity” to round out the rest of the offerings.
This pop-up will launch their 30-day Kickstarter campaign. The purpose of the Kickstarter is to raise funds to renovate Sunnyside Cafe to create a modern atmosphere that will complete the dining experience. The Kickstarter will close with a pop-up to thank backers and supporters in April.
“We understand that a bank can provide the capital for us to open. But only our community can provide the capital for us to open and the business to keep us open. We see everyone who comes into Soul Bowl as a guest and not a customer. At Soul Bowl our love language is soul food and hospitality and we want to share that love with our community. Backing our project will help bring more fresh food options to North Minneapolis. Start us off on our journey as African American restauranteurs. Bring a new soul food restaurant to North Minneapolis. You will also be supporting a restaurant that is already involved in the community and opening Soul Bowl will only extend our reach. Last but not least all the array of amazing incentives,” says chef Gerard Klass.
Since their first pop-up in November 2017, Soul Bowl has been featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine and on the Jason show. Customers and critics alike have been calling Soul Bowl the “soul food Chipotle.” Soul Bowl is here to put a millennial twist on soul food and finally put an end to the Minneapolis soul food quest. The future of soul food is here.
