Small Business Spotlight: Central N.E.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 8:44AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
Central N.E. opens today at 700 Central Avenue NE. There’s so much to like about this new establishment! We visited with the General Manager, Daniel Martin, Owner, Andy Cohen and server, Rafael, about the vision for the restaurant, supporting other local businesses, and a unique compensation model that benefits both the front and the back of the house employees. The July 20 soft opening was a success and you should add this location to your dining plans – and soon!
Q: What does Central N.E. offer to the Northeast dining scene?
Daniel: We offer something that is not currently here in the Northeast. We offer craft cocktails, mixed with spirits from local distilleries and Minneapolis-American foods designed to be shared. We are not a late-night saloon. There are excellent small businesses here in the neighborhood that offer that service. We’re a comfortable, relaxed restaurant serving communal based foods. We expect our customers will want to visit us several times a week. We have innovative menus - $10 lunch plates, innovative small plates for sharing, Sunday Jazz brunch and a beautiful facility. Social Hour is Wednesday to Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM, with discounted beer, wine and cocktails.
Q: What local distilleries have you partnered with?
Daniel: We are working with Crooked Water Spirits, the first woman-owned distillery in Minneapolis. We use their Apple Brandy in our Northeast cocktail. We also partner with Tattersall and Du Nord Craft Spirits. Tattersall worked with us early on and trained us to design our craft cocktail menu. The cocktail menu has many examples of these three distilleries’ spirits.
Q: Talk to us about the menu and the inspiration for it.
Andy: The menu features foods that are meant to be shared. You may order your food in any order – starting with something like a salad or appetizer or you may jump right to the handheld sandwiches or larger plates. The menus encourage the guest to explore, share, and choose their own dining adventure whether it's during lunch, dinner or brunch. We cook from scratch and we choose to use local ingredients. We know that a traditional three-course meal is very linear – you start with appetizers, then an entrée and then dessert. We designed our menu to be different – you can mix and match your choices, giving the customer and their dining companions a chance to try many new things at one meal. We know that the sharing of food creates a great social situation – it encourages conversation and connections.
Q: Will you have a weekend brunch?
Andy: Yes, it will start this weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 3 PM. We’ll offer $8 bottomless mimosas and a menu with traditional breakfast foods, but also sandwiches and salads. In August, we’ll have Jazz Sundays with live music from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Q: You’re partnering with other local organizations, too. I notice some very colorful and interesting art here – tell us more about it.
Daniel: We are partnering with MPLSART to showcase local artists in our restaurant. Currently, we’re featuring Russ White. The framed art on the walls and the large piece behind the host desk are all by Russ White. Just as it is so important to us to partner with local food and spirits makers, we also believe in partnering with artists. We’re also thinking of holding art shows in our function room. We want to be a trusted and inclusive community member and that means partnering with the community in many different ways.
Above - General Manager, Daniel Martin, stands in front of an art installment by their currently featured local artist Russ White. Below - server Rafael is in front of a giant mural featuring Minneapolis icons.
Q: Talk to us about your service-included, full-service concept.
Rafael: The COVID restaurant shutdown was brutal to restaurant workers, including the back of the house team members. The 20% added as a service charge is shared equally with cooks and dishwashers – something that doesn’t happen in the restaurant industry. I am in favor of the way Central N.E. is handling the service charge.
Daniel: Restaurant service requires a team of people to executive many different roles. In our opinion, the behind-the-scenes team members need to be included in any discussion of compensation. We want to reduce income disparity and provide a more stable income for our workers. And we want to provide customers with the very best hospitality we can offer.
