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Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporter Torey Van Oot.

Axios Twin Cities

Axios Twin Cities Thought Bubble

A new Native-owned coffee shop is coming to Roseville next month. 

Makwa, which means "black bear" in Ojibwe, will be a rare independent coffee shop in an area filled with national chains.

What to expect: A cozy, "common-room" vibe with coffee from Tru Stone, tea from TeaSource and various bakery items, said Makwa Coffee owner Jamie Becker-Finn.

Becker-Finn, who serves in the state Legislature, will also sell wild rice from her home community of Leech Lake. 

Yes, and: The shop becomes a private event space at night, and will host regular family-friendly watch parties for local sports teams like the Minnesota Aurora.

Construction begins Wednesday, with a tentative soft opening planned for June. 

Roseville gains a new independent coffee shop

Makwa Coffee's soft opening is planned for late June.

A drawing of a black bear on a blue background with the words Makwa Coffee.

Makwa means "black bear" in Ojibwe. Photo: Makwa Coffee. 

Coffee

A new Native-owned coffee shop is coming to Roseville next month. <ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Makwa" data-vars-click-url="https://www.makwacoffee.com/" data-vars-content-id="094a05d9-1321-4485-bdf0-272e3898284b" data-vars-headline="Roseville gains a new independent coffee shop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.makwacoffee.com/" target="_blank">Makwa</a>, which means &quot;black bear&quot; in Ojibwe, will be a rare independent coffee shop in an area filled with national chains.</li></ul>

Food and Drink

Axios Twin Cities, anchored by Torey Van Oot, Nick Halter and Audrey Kennedy, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard

As a 2020 grad, I've become an expert at finding cheap lunches around town. Here are some of my go-to spots to find meals under $10.

Lake and Bryant Cafe has a unique and delicious brunch menu and bakery. 

Afro Deli offers African and Mediterranean fare, with locations in downtown St. Paul, the Minneapolis skyways, and near the University of Minnesota.

Los Ocampo Express serves authentic Mexican food in the Minneapolis skyways for just $3 a taco. 

Roti in St. Louis Park is the place to go for create-your-own Mediterranean bowls and pita sandwiches. 

Dagwood's in the Minneapolis skyways has tasty sandwiches, and a meal with chips and a drink only runs you about $9. 

Asian Express in the St. Paul skyways serves huge portions of fried rice, kung pao chicken, pho, and much more for under $9.95. 

Stalk & Spade in downtown Wayzata and Edina have plant-based "chick'n" sandwiches and wraps for $9.95. Plus, $3.50 ice cream cones! 

7 must-try spots for cheap eats in the Twin Cities

Illustration of a taco full of hundred dollar bills.

Food

As a 2020 grad, I&#x27;ve become an expert at finding cheap lunches around town. Here are some of my go-to spots to find meals under $10.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lake and Bryant Cafe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lakeandbryantcafe.com/menu" data-vars-content-id="11e161cd-7488-4e0b-9e8a-c707481689b9" data-vars-headline="7 must-try spots for cheap eats in the Twin Cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lakeandbryantcafe.com/menu" target="_blank">Lake and Bryant Cafe</a> has a unique and delicious brunch menu and bakery. </li></ul>

Here are five things to do in the Twin Cities over Memorial Day weekend.

🎸 Spend the night at a music festival! Minifest, a 7-hour evening of live entertainment, gets underway at 6pm on Friday in Minneapolis. $25. 

🕺 Dance to disco at an Abba-inspired dance party Friday night at Varsity Theater. $20+.

🕯 Community organizations host "Rise and Remember: A George Floyd Global Memorial Celebration" at George Floyd Square Saturday. Free.  

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Bring the family to "the world’s biggest bounce house" in St. Louis Park. The traveling exhibit runs through June 6 and has time slots by age group, including one for adults. $19-$39. 

🇹🇭 Celebrate Thai New Year with food, live performances and a papaya-eating contest during the Minnesota Songkran Festival Saturday-Sunday. Free.  

What to do in the Twin Cities for Memorial Day weekend

Celebrate Thai culture and go to a music festival.

Illustration of a calendar spinning on a person's finger like a basketball. 

Here are five things to do in the Twin Cities over Memorial Day weekend.🎸 Spend the night at a music festival! <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minifest" data-vars-click-url="https://bridgingmusic.com/event/minneapolis-minifest-5-27-22/" data-vars-content-id="17f71417-de7d-4819-9a58-518622344a5c" data-vars-headline="What to do in the Twin Cities for Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bridgingmusic.com/event/minneapolis-minifest-5-27-22/" target="_blank">Minifest</a>, a 7-hour evening of live entertainment, gets underway at 6pm on Friday in Minneapolis. $25.

Things to Do

Baristas at a fourth Twin Cities Starbucks store will vote on whether to form a union beginning Tuesday. 

What's happening: The Minneapolis shop at Lyndale and 54th is among at least six Minnesota locations that have joined a growing national push to unionize employees at the ubiquitous coffee chain. 

Workers prevailed at two locations — 300 Snelling Avenue in St. Paul and 47th and Cedar in Minneapolis — in recent months. Ballots at a third drive at a St. Anthony store will be counted June 6. 

The big picture: The strong economy, combined with a pro-union White House and lingering pandemic concerns, are fueling a new labor movement across the U.S.

Workers at Amazon, Trader Joe's and, here in Minnesota, smaller outfits such as Peace Coffee have signed on to seek — and in some cases, win — union representation. 

Driving the drives: Aaron Sojourner, a labor economist and professor at the University of Minnesota, told Axios that conditions for forming a union are more favorable than they have been in decades. 

"Workers are in the driver's seat in the labor market right now," he said, citing job security as an incentive to seek better pay and conditions through bargaining power.

Zoom in: Ethan Tinklenberg, who works at the now-unionized Cedar store, said employees wanted better insurance, COVID precautions, a fix to the congested drive-thru and pay of at least $20 an hour. 

"I want to come into work and know that I'm contributing, and feel that in my wallet as well," he told Axios. "I want to feel like I'm a part of this place rather than like I'm being used." 

The other side: A Starbucks spokesperson defended the company's benefits and COVID policies in a statement to Axios and pointed to the recent announcement of increased wages and benefits for staff at non-unionized locations.

"From the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners, without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

What's next: The National Labor Relations Board will mail ballots to eligible workers at the shop off Lyndale Tuesday. Results will be tallied June 14.

A union vote for employees at the Mall of America Starbucks is set to begin June 3, with an Eden Prairie location following suit later that month. 

What to watch: Sojourner said successful drives both locally and nationally are likely to have a ripple effect, motivating more workers to seek to form unions of their own. 

"It changes their beliefs about what's possible and what's likely to be successful," he said. "They realize that they can influence that and throw their weight behind this effort to, from their perspective, improve jobs." 

Twin Cities Starbucks workers join national labor push

Workers at at least six stores have petitioned for representation.

Illustration of the Starbucks siren holding up a fist. 

Minnesota

Baristas at a fourth Twin Cities Starbucks store will vote on whether to form a union beginning Tuesday. What&#x27;s happening: The Minneapolis shop at Lyndale and 54th is among at least six Minnesota locations that have joined a growing national push to unionize employees at the ubiquitous coffee chain.

News

Business

The first Minnesota Aurora game kicks off Thursday night with a sold-out stadium and a mission: Prove women's soccer can succeed at the local level. 

Why it matters: The new team brings more hype and excitement around a growing movement to boost women's sports, and creates an opportunity to see rising stars before they hit the big leagues.

How it works: Aurora is part of the USL W League, a new all-female preprofessional league launching this month. 

The 25 athletes who make up the roster have a wide variety of skill levels, from high school standouts to Division 1 players. Half have Minnesota ties.

Yes, and: Unlike most preprofessional teams, players don't have to pay to compete. 

Aurora is community-owned. The 3,080 shareholders, who bought in last year, get input on things like the name, mascot and logo and can run for board seats, Aurora’s soccer director Matt Privansky tells Axios. 

What they're saying: "Ideally, some of these players are going to be the stars we watch in the (higher level) NWSL. We're offering a chance to see these players now," Wes Burdine, an Aurora owner who also runs St. Paul LGBTQ soccer bar Black Hart, tells Axios.

The big picture: The success and visibility of the U.S. women's soccer team has created a nationwide demand for the sport from a diverse audience — 40% of soccer fans are people of color, according to a study published last month.

"There's a reason soccer is called the world’s game," Aurora community owner Jamie Becker-Finn, a state representative from Roseville, tells Axios. "It has an intersectionality of race, gender and culture you don’t see in many sports."

What to expect: High-energy games under 90 minutes, a stadium of enthusiastic fans and affordable tickets under $15. 

What's next: If you missed out on tonight’s tickets, the team plays five more home games at TCO Stadium in Eagan through June 26. 

Minnesota's newest women's soccer team Aurora FC take the field

High-energy games, enthusiastic fans and tickets under $15.

The Minnesota Aurora name and logo was chosen by its community owners and fans. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Aurora

Soccer

The first Minnesota Aurora game kicks off Thursday night with a sold-out stadium and a mission: Prove women&#x27;s soccer can succeed at the local level. Why it matters: The new team brings more hype and excitement around a growing movement to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="boost women&#x27;s sports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/03/womens-sports-investments-rising" data-vars-content-id="b32ab84f-9cb5-471e-a869-1d1aa58d1d68" data-vars-headline="Minnesota&#x27;s newest women&#x27;s soccer team Aurora FC take the field" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/02/03/womens-sports-investments-rising" target="_self">boost women&#x27;s sports</a>, and creates an opportunity to see rising stars before they hit the big leagues.

Audrey Kennedy

Featured stories

7 must-try spots for cheap eats in the Twin Cities

What to do in the Twin Cities for Memorial Day weekend

Minnesota's newest women's soccer team Aurora FC take the field

Roseville gains a new independent coffee shop

Twin Cities Starbucks workers join national labor push