Minneapolis City Council is creating new barriers for BIPOC and immigrant small businesses

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

This commentary was submitted by several members of the Minneapolis business community. Their names are listed below.

•••

Minneapolis has always been a city where innovation meets resilience, where small businesses form the essence of thriving neighborhoods. As first-generation immigrants looking for a place to put down roots and find opportunities, we turned to Minneapolis for its diversity and support for BIPOC communities like ours. We have poured our time, resources and passion into building businesses here that can support our families and help us achieve the American dream.

We believed in the city’s potential. But, the reality of operating a small business in Minneapolis today is that the very qualities that drew us to invest our livelihoods here are being overshadowed by rising costs, mounting bureaucracy and policies that make it harder and harder for us to survive.

Last week, the Minneapolis City Council approved a Labor Standards Board (LSB), a new unelected body with the ability to fast-track new rules and regulations that will affect the day-to-day operations of our businesses. As minorities and non-native English speakers new to this country, we found that navigating the opening of a business was already difficult, and we faced unique challenges. But the Minneapolis City Council refused to pay meaningful attention to our input about those challenges. The LSB was created without public hearings or meaningful dialogue with the business community. Council members have now twice voted against holding a public hearing, despite pleas from their own colleagues.

We cannot overstate the harm this rushed decision will bring — not just to our businesses, but to our employees, customers and neighborhoods.

For us, the stakes couldn’t be higher. BIPOC-owned businesses have historically faced systemic barriers to success, from lack of access to capital to discriminatory policies. Many of us chose Minneapolis because of its promise of opportunity and community. But that promise feels increasingly out of reach as policies like the Labor Standards Board make it clear that our voices — and our struggles — are being ignored.

When businesses like ours close or leave, the impact ripples across the city. Jobs are lost, neighborhoods lose their vibrancy, and Minneapolis’ reputation as a destination for dining, culture and innovation is further eroded. The very policies that claim to “protect workers” are instead putting their livelihoods at risk.

If Minneapolis wants to remain a city of opportunity, it must change course. Business owners need to be seen as partners in the city’s future, not obstacles to overcome. Collaboration, transparency and practical solutions must take precedence over rushed decisions that create uncertainty and instability.

Leaders must prioritize policies that encourage investment, growth and job creation — policies that reflect the realities of running a small business, not just ideals crafted in a vacuum. Minneapolis must take a hard look at the direction it’s heading. The continued exodus of businesses, highlighted in an article recently published by the Minnesota Star Tribune (“The suburbs vs. Minneapolis: Where will restaurants go?” Nov. 16) is a warning sign that can no longer be ignored. It’s not too late to course-correct, but the time for action is now, and it starts with a veto from the mayor. Without thriving businesses, there is no thriving Minneapolis. We want to create collaborative solutions with the City Council that can work for all of us and ensure our city is a place that supports BIPOC and immigrant small businesses.

We have invested deeply in this city and our employees, not just financially but emotionally. We believe in Minneapolis. But for us to be able to stay and keep our doors open the city must start believing in us, too.

Signatories to this article are Amol Dixit, Hot Indian Foods; David Fhima, Fhima’s Minneapolis, Artisans & Spice Catering, Mother Dough Bakery, and Maison Margaux; Gustavo Romero, Oro and Nixta; Jorge Guzman, Pollo Pollo al Carbon, Petite Leon and Chilango; Juan Yunga, La Mesa; Lina Goh, Zen Box Izakaya; Pedro Wolcott, Guacaya Bistreaux; Soleil Ramirez, Arepa Bar; and Tammy Wong, Rainbow Restaurant.