Minnesota's immigrants bring new food and drink flavors to retail shelves

Henry Kisitu pours his story into every bottle of Jajja Wellness Tonic that he sells through a few dozen local stores — and, hopefully soon, Target.

Using his grandmother's recipes from his native Uganda, Kisitu has found a following among the growing ranks of health-conscious and beverage-obsessed consumers.

"My target market is people who want to be healthy and eat better — that was my grandma's mission, and that's the mission we're keeping," he said. "There's nothing like this on the market, I can guarantee you that."

Kisitu is among a handful of Minnesota's African immigrants who have made the leap from farmers markets to store shelves with packaged food and drinks.

That's no small feat even with rising demand for new, innovative and niche products.

"It's amazingly crowded," University of Minnesota marketing professor Joe Redden said about the food and drink market. "And if there is an unmet need, can the economics work out?"

Vanlice "Vee" Washington is trying to figure that out with the smooth, vanilla-tinged Vanlice Lemonade he sells at 30 stores around the metro area.

"I have a product that's selling, and selling out," said Washington, who was born in Liberia. "In order to grow to where it could be this big business, I need a team, I need funding, to keep up with orders that are growing."

A Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank report last year showed a wide gap in funding access between white and Black entrepreneurs. Such a disparity holds back the success rate of minority-owned businesses even as more Minnesota firms than ever are owned by people of color — 11% of all businesses.

"Capital access is often uneven, and these differences do matter," said Michou Kokodoko, project director at the Minneapolis Fed's Community Development and Engagement department. "For my department, access to credit permeates everything we do."

The bank's report said that "as Minnesota's population continues to diversify racially and ethnically, policymakers and lenders must recognize how race and ethnicity are still shaping those chances."

Starting out

Florence Karp, aka Chef Flo-K, spent two years perfecting the recipe for her Afric Sauce, sold at Kowalski's, Hy-Vee and other stores in the region.

"It will help you bring a taste of Africa to your kitchen," the Brooklyn Park-based chef said. "Those who buy it tell me it gives them an emotional connection."

Marketed as a time-saver for traditional dishes such as jollof rice, Karp has also picked up on some novel uses that have helped her find a wider audience with Minnesota's more meat-and-potatoes palate.

"People tell me they used it for sloppy Joes — I had never thought of that," she said with a laugh.

Karp grew up in Nigeria and was long involved in her mother's buka, which is like a street-food shop. When she came to the U.S. in 1997 she was discouraged from starting a food business since it was "too risky."

Yet since debuting Afric Sauce in 2019, Karp has enlisted a co-packer — a third-party manufacturer — to keep up with demand, with a new shipment due next week. The brand is also getting a trial run at Target stores.

"My plan for the near future is to get into more stores and distribute nationwide," she said.

Abel Tekeste has similar dreams for Hiwet Products, which he and his wife founded in Owatonna last year.

Hiwet, the Tigrinya word for "life," uses a gluten-free grain called teff or taff most commonly associated with the East African flatbread injera. The company is also brewing a traditional alcoholic beverage using gesho, which is used like hops in beer.

Tekeste, originally from Eritrea, has developed a teff/taff-based pasta and nutrition bars that he said could appeal to a broad range of consumers.

"Currently there is no pasta made with taff … Nevertheless, it requires market research and a co-packer," he wrote in an e-mail. "Cost to conduct the initial production run is also a financial burden."

With financial backing and access to smaller-scale manufacturing facilities — a shortage many Minnesota foodmakers are facing — Tekeste said there are "great opportunities to see my products in the market."

Growing fast

Henry Kisitu used to be very shy, the charismatic entrepreneur said over Zoom last month. As he talked to more customers, he gained more confidence, which led to more customers.

He credits some of the success of Minneapolis-based Jajja Wellness Tonics to simply taking a chance.

"First of all you have to start — that's what I tell people, you have to start," said Kisitu, a University of St. Thomas graduate. "The other thing that has helped me is knowing everything is connected. There is the saying, 'Do not throw a stone in the market, because you will hit your mother.'"

With the backing of Brian Mark of BSM Equities — whom Kisitu was connected with via his work at Virginia Tile — Jajja is in the process of securing a co-packer and getting tonics on shelves across the country.

"My business partner has a lot of experience, and that has helped a great deal," Kisitu said. "I'm still learning, and I keep growing."

Vee Washington visited store after store when he first tried to get Vanlice Lemonade on shelves, and he always checked back to make sure someone had actually tried his drink — which almost always guaranteed a trial run.

"I understand the value of being patient, but I also understand the value of persistence," he said. "I could give up, or I could keep going."

Vanlice Lemonade is at a critical juncture as the Minneapolis company approaches a five-year anniversary this summer. Without some financial backing, Washington can't hire people to keep up with demand or move into his own production space.

"I no longer try to search for stores," Washington said. "Stores are hitting me up. But I'm only one person."

More than make lemonade — bottles of which feature a drawing of his daughter, the company's honorary CEO — Washington wants his business to create opportunities.

"I've always wanted to grow a business and train people who look like me," he said. "Nobody taught me these things growing up."