Waiting in line for two hours for Nashville-style hot chicken in Los Angeles, Brothers Arif & Kamal Mohamed with their father Mohamed Omer had plenty of time to chat, watch Netflix and fantasize about opening a similar chicken joint in Minnesota. It started as a casual conversation. Two weeks later, Arif went back for more and hatched a serious plan to do hot chicken in Minnesota, with a twist, using his mother’s homemade blend of Ethiopian spices.

Nashville Coop has since grown into a family-owned business with 3 brick and mortar locations to bring the community together over their authentically spicy Southern and Ethiopian-inspired eats. They made a strategic move, filling a market niche in Minnesota. The first year was wildly successful, gaining high praise on social media and regularly selling out.