Care for a swim and some Soul Bowl? Dine in at the V3 Center
Soul Bowl owners Gerard and Brittney Klass share a moment while tending to customers at their restaurant.
Story and photos by Jade Carlson, North News intern
Soul Bowl has returned home.
The popular restaurant that began in pop-up events moved to the V3 Center on Plymouth Avenue North on Nov. 19.
Restaurant owners Gerard and Brittney Klass deeply connect to the Northside. They grew a following with pop-up events inside venues like New Rules and the former Breaking Bread restaurant. After five successful years at a North Loop food hall, the Klasses wanted to return to where their success began.
Bringing quality restaurants to the Northside is the Klass' dream. They hope to join the emerging Black business owners who seek to create sustainable Northside establishments to keep the dollars in the community.
“That's my fight, that's my activism, to create jobs in my community and show people that there are Black and Brown owners that look like them, that work right down the street so that their dreams are possible,” Gerard Klass said.
Restaurant goers say North Minneapolis needs more spaces like Soul Bowl.
The Klasses have worked in the restaurant industry for more than a decade. They grew up with values like generosity and giving back to the community. Leaning into those values is part of their business model. Along with good food, the pair say joy and generosity are the foundations of their success.
Kaylynn Caldwell-Johnson works as a cashier for the restaurant. She loves that there’s always hip-hop music in the background.
“It just feels very comforting,” she said. “It feels like somewhere you can grow and not just work for, and it's refreshing to come somewhere that gives back to you emotionally.”
Zae Sellers, a Northside resident and frequent customer at Soul Bowl, is happy to have an evening sit-down meal in her community.
“Every time I come, I see somebody I know in the community,” Sellers said. “We know the demographic of Minnesota. So to be here and to see so many Black and Brown people, it’s just so cool to see. It's what we need more of.”
Soul Bowl opened at the V3 Center Nov. 19. The restaurant’s boiled wings were popular at this year’s Minnesota State Fair.
The Klasses hope to be a link in Minneapolis's long chain of soul food restaurants.
“It's amazing to see what can happen when the community supports something,” Gerard Klass said. “I want them to feel ownership when they come in here. This is ours.”