Meet The Founders Of Minneapolis’ First Black-Owned Pizzeria

Pioneer Press reports the founders opened the New York-style pizza shop Slice Brothers Pizza in 2021 in Northeast Minneapolis. They have since reached new areas with locations in the city’s Midtown Global Market and the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul. In October 2023, the company will expand to the Mall of America, according to Eater Twin Cities.

Commemorating their most recent victory on Thursday, Sept. 14, the pair celebrated the grand opening of their St.Paul location alongside Mayor Melvin Carter and Neighborhood Development Center President and CEO Renay Dossman.

“A very special thank you to the office of Mayor Melvin Carter, Renay Dossman and the rest of the NDC family, the city of St. Paul and the neighborhood of Frogtown for a wonderful grand opening celebration,” the company said on its Facebook page. “We are very thankful for this reception and promise to pay it back with service and dedication to this community.”

Before becoming business partners, Kado and Thurmond had been longtime friends. The pair are further united in their vision to create economic opportunities and provide affordable food to communities.

“Our why really isn’t to build a pizza empire. Our why is to distribute affordable pizza,” Thurmond said, according to Eater Twin Cities. “It turned out that that’s needed in a lot more areas of the Twin Cities…”

Kado told the outlet, “I love what we do, I love the communities we’re involved with. I like to keep it square, and in-state, serving the people that have been loyal to us. But obviously, we can create jobs, expand our reach, and make a difference in a lot of places. With the viability of the concept, we’re kinda forced to do this. It’s bigger than us at this point.”

Their mission is what has been keeping the entrepreneurs steady as their journey has not always been easy. They have had to “bootstrap,” as Kado says, without the support of generations of wealth. What’s more, the spotlight that comes as they continue to scale their business has also presented its challenges.

“We continue to have to prove ourselves with each deal and each new piece of attention we get,” Thurmond expressed to Eater Twin Cities. “We have to continue pushing forward, and it’s hard. It’s a taxing thing.”

Kado added, “We have to do this the right way, where we’re not just turning into fat cats — we still have our ethical code and our morals and our values that have gotten us to this place. Finding balance is tough. Me and Hosie are just guys from the neighborhood, and now we’re in this position. Man, we’re in a different world meeting different people. We’re really pleased with that. But it comes with a lot.”