Food Demo hosted by owner & operator Manny Gonzales.

Manuel González is from Mexico City. He moved to the United States 29 years ago after finishing culinary school in Mexico. After many years working as Chef in a handful of Twin Cities restaurants and Prom Catering Company, he learned the soon-to-be opened Mercado Central on East Lake Street in Minneapolis and was looking for applications from prospective restaurateurs. Having always dreamed of opening his own business, he applied and was chosen as one of the first restaurants to be part of the Latino Business Development Project, opening in their first location in 1999. Together with his sister Victoria, who has a background in hospitality management and more than 15 years of business consulting experience, now run Manny’s Tortas location at the Midtown Global Market and a booth in the food building at the Minnesota State Fair.

We worked hard to create a location in which American and Mexican cultures came together. In addition to running the restaurants, Manny is frequently a guest speaker for economic development programs, and a guest chef at locations such as Macy’s Department Store and Midtown Global Market. He also teaches cooking classes for different events such as Cinco de Mayo and The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes EXPO.

Nepalese & Indian Cuisine

Rashmi Bhattachan has a strong background for hands-on culinary demonstrations and cultural food programming at the Market:

Longtime food entrepreneur; Rashmi began selling her Nepali momos at the Mill City Farmers Market roughly 16 years before opening MomoDosa. That experience gives her a strong connection to demonstrating food directly to the public and explaining the story behind what she makes.

Experienced chef/restaurant operator: She is co-owner of MomoDosa with Chef Sarala Kattel and was previously part of the team behind Gorkha Palace. Their restaurants have focused on Nepali, Indian and Tibetan food, with an emphasis on scratch cooking and locally sourced ingredients.

Strong cultural storytelling: Rashmi has specifically spoken about food as a way of bringing cultures together at Midtown Global Market's Holi celebration.

Trung Pham is one of the original Midtown Global Market vendors, opening Pham’s Rice Bowl when the Market opened in 2006. With 20 years of experience at the Market, Trung brings deep knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine and the diverse community he serves.

Trung has experience leading food demonstrations and teaching cooking, including demonstrations at Midtown Global Market and culinary instruction through Hot Wok Academy. He is also an experienced public speaker and has participated in local media discussions about Vietnamese food, small business, and the Market.

His culinary and community work—including preparing meals through Minnesota Central Kitchen—reflects his commitment to sharing food, culture, and community with others.

Than Zaw is the owner of Intown Sushi at Midtown Global Market. Originally from Myanmar, Than came to the United States in 2004 after working as a chef in Malaysia. He spent more than a decade developing his sushi business before opening Intown Sushi at the Market in 2018.

Than brings extensive experience in sushi preparation, Asian cuisine, catering, and food education.

Louis Hunter is the owner and chef of Trio Plant-Based at Midtown Global Market. He co-founded Trio in 2018 and became the sole owner in 2019, establishing Minnesota’s first Black-owned vegan restaurant.

Louis brings extensive experience in plant-based cooking, Southern-inspired soul food, and community-centered food programming. His cooking is rooted in family recipes and traditional flavors, with a focus on making plant-based food accessible and flavorful.

He is an engaging chef, storyteller, and community advocate who has shared his food and business journey through local media and community events.

Destinee Shelby is a Minneapolis entrepreneur, restaurateur, and founder of Baked Brand. She launched Baked Brand in 2015 as a home-based baking and catering business and grew it into a full-service food and beverage company. In 2021, she opened The Kitchen by Baked Brand at Midtown Global Market.

Destinee brings professional experience in soul food, baking, catering, fresh juices, restaurant operations, and entrepreneurship. She is also the founder of the Black Entrepreneur State Fair, created to provide opportunities and visibility for Black-owned businesses.

Her work combines food, entrepreneurship, and community engagement, making her a strong fit for Market programming and food demonstrations focused on cooking, baking, business ownership, and community.