NEON Collective Kitchens

Expanding Opportunity on the Northside

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) was founded in 2006 and supports underserved entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities. As one of only six organizations in the Twin Cities providing entrepreneur training, NEON plays a critical role in building and sustaining a diverse, multicultural network of business owners – expanding opportunity, growth, and wealth across the Northside.

Purpose-Built for Food Entrepreneurship

As NEON’s impact grew, so did the need for a dedicated space where food entrepreneurs could access the tools, resources, and community required to scale their businesses. In response, NEON envisioned a centralized hub designed to remove common barriers to entry and create a pathway for long-term success in the local food economy.

That vision was realized through NEON’s Grow & Thrive Northside campaign, which expanded the organization’s capacity, increased staffing, and established a permanent home for both co-working and food-based entrepreneurship. The NEON Food Business Incubator—now known as NEON Collective Kitchens – is a secure, affordable space designed to foster food entrepreneurship and create lasting career pathways for small businesses. The facility features 11 kitchen spaces, including:

• Large shared kitchens on each level for multi-tenant use
• Two cold-prep catering kitchens
• A dedicated Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) kitchen
• Five individual retail kitchens

Designed to support a wide range of food-based businesses, the kitchens enable tenants to prepare and cook for catering, food truck operations, pick-up orders, and delivery services. A second-floor classroom supports educational programming, offering cooking classes for both entrepreneurs and the broader community. The lobby welcomes the public, allowing visitors to experience a variety of culinary offerings through a convenient kiosk ordering system.

Matching Delivery to the Customer’s Mission

With the facility’s purpose defined, delivery approach became equally important. NEON’s goal was not simply to build kitchens, but to remove long‑standing barriers to food entrepreneurship and create lasting economic pathways for small businesses in North Minneapolis. Mortenson aligned its role to that mission by partnering from preconstruction through completion to deliver a secure, affordable, and purpose‑built facility focused on real‑world usability, scalability, and long‑term community impact.

Growing Local Leadership Through Partnership

Mortenson intentionally partnered with TRI-Construction through a hands-on mentor-protégé relationship embedded in the project work itself. Beyond delivering a successful project, the collaboration provided direct mentorship in cost estimating, project management, field operations, and project controls – helping strengthen TRI-Construction’s capacity to take on larger, more complex work in the future.

The new facility reflects the impact of this partnership, delivering a first-of-its-kind facility while building lasting local capacity through meaningful collaboration.

A Lasting Community Impact

Today, NEON Collective Kitchens is more than a building – it is a place where entrepreneurs can launch, grow, and thrive, helping shape the future and economic vitality of North Minneapolis.