2 Years Since George Floyd's Death, Nearby Kitchen Keeps Community's Dreams Alive

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It was two years ago Wednesday when George Floyd was murdered on 38th Street South and Chicago Avenue, after former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin held Floyd's neck down with his knee for more than eight minutes.

The scene of his death has since come to be known as George Floyd Square, a place for collective mourning and calls for change. It's also a place where a number of businesses are working to give back to the community.

At a place where four South Minneapolis neighborhoods meet, people are bringing their curiosity, hunger and dreams. CityFoodStudio is located near 38th and Chicago. Since 2014, more than 75 entrepreneurs have used the space to push their culinary dreams forward. WCCO's Shayla Reaves caught up with the owner of Delightful Bites by Corrin Elizabeth.

Owner Corrin Faggétt is all about helping people, and she's doing it one delightful bite at a time. She says she'll never forget the words of George Floyd's daughter Gianna, that her "daddy changed the world."

In George Floyd, Corrin says she can see her own brother, father, or even her nephew. She called the opportunity to be located in George Floyd Square one she doesn't take lightly.

"I'm part of, you know, the movement," she said. "You know being originally from St. Paul, you know we have our differences, Minneapolis have their differences, but when we come together that makes a difference, and I think people need to see more of that."

CityFoodStudio is a certified food-safe space offering the same commercial equipment found in restaurants. It's ready to serve anyone from caterers to food truck operators to manufacturers and hobbyist with big dreams. Corrin will be the first business to host monthly popups at the location, starting this weekend.

"Sometimes a tragedy makes us take stock and take ahold of now and do something that we want," CityFood Studio owner Journey Gosselin said. "Make a change, be out there, so the people then coming here can use the space to do those dreams."

Corrin's Soul Food pop up Shop will take place at City Food Studio on Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and also on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The menu includes smothered baked chicken over a bed of white rice, collard greens, and her "Better Than Anything Cake."

Some businesses you may be familiar with locally got their start at CityFoodStudio -- they include T-Rex Cookies, Juanita's Jar, Rise Bagels, O'Cheeze, and many others.

"I love seeing all the different things that people make, the different backgrounds they come from," Gosselin said. "Some of the best thing that we have here are when people are interacting with each other."