Award-winning Owamni moving to new Guthrie Theater location in 2026
Owamni Chef Sean Sherman makes Time's 100 Most Influential People list
At the Indigenous Food Lab in Midtown Global Market, employees are making and distributing meals to people in need. But co-founder Sean Sherman is still trying to digest his latest accolade.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni has announced it will move locations in Minneapolis beginning in the spring of 2026.
Owamni moving locations
What we know:
The Guthrie Theater and North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) announced on Wednesday that it will relocate the restaurant to the main floor of the Guthrie Theater along the Mississippi River beginning in 2026.
NATIFS is a nonprofit organization founded by chef Sean Sherman that owns and operates the James Beard Award-winning restaurant.
The nonprofit says it is "committed to addressing the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by reestablishing Native foodways. Through its educational programs, the Indigenous Food Lab and its award-winning restaurant Owamni, NATIFS works to restore Indigenous food knowledge and sovereignty across the continent."
Also known as the "Sioux Chef," in 2022, Sherman and Owamni earned a James Beard Award in the Best New Restaurant category.
The James Beard Foundation Awards are annually presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize culinary professionals in the U.S., with a mission to "recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and broader food system."
The following year, he was named to TIME’s 100 most influential people of the year list.
What they're saying:
"We couldn’t be more excited to make Owamni’s stage — a restaurant that showcases Indigenous cuisine — part of the Guthrie stages," Sean Sherman, activist and founder of Owamni and NATIFS said in a statement. "The space at the Guthrie doubles the size of our current location, and together we will continue to reconnect people with traditional Indigenous food practices and support Native cultural revitalization and community well-being. Owamni means ‘falling water’ in the Dakota language, and we’re so glad to remain close to St. Anthony Falls, on the shores of the Mississippi, which is a source of great significance to the Dakota People."
In the same statement, Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj added, "We’re beyond thrilled to welcome Owamni to the Guthrie in partnership with Chef Sean Sherman and NATIFS. This mission-driven, nonprofit collaboration reflects the Guthrie’s deep commitment to our community and to enhancing the vibrancy of the Mississippi riverfront in downtown Minneapolis."
Dig deeper:
The move will likely have an effect on the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) budgeting.
Technically an MPRB vendor on city-owned land, Owamni was the highest-grossing vendor in 2024, pulling in a profit of $5.6 million.
The profit places it ahead of Sea Salt at Minnehaha Falls ($4.7 million), Break & Pickle at Lake Harriet ($1.7 million), Pimento at Bde Maka Ska ($1.0 million) and Painted Turtle at Lake Nokomis ($520,900).