Beloved Northside Sandwich Shop Owner Sammy McDowell Has Died | Eater Twin Cities

"On Broadway Avenue in North Minneapolis, I saw Sammy’s Avenue Eatery—opened by Sammy McDowell in 2012—as both a beloved cafe and a true community hub. Its food was immensely popular with neighbors, highlighted by a particularly stellar breakfast sandwich layered with fluffy eggs and cheese, and McDowell ran a steady catering business and even launched a pop-up at St. Paul's Golden Thyme cafe. The cafe regularly hosted local organizers, arts groups, and business owners, was guarded during the civil unrest after George Floyd's murder, and became a hub for mutual aid donations; McDowell often offered a listening ear, fed customers who couldn't afford meals, gave spiritual and practical words of encouragement, created jobs, and helped people feel like they belonged. Featured on the YouTube series Small Business Revolution in 2021, the eatery embodied McDowell's mission to expand fresh food options on the Northside and to use small business as a way to build community." - Justine Jones