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Small Business Saturday just in time for Uptown Minneapolis

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Small Business Saturday just in time for Uptown Minneapolis


Small Business Saturday is here, and it’s coming just in time for Uptown Minneapolis.

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Shopping local

Nationally, people spent $17 billion at small businesses on the day last year.

The beeps have started on a milestone weekend for Comma, A Bookshop.

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Small Business Saturday is the second anniversary of the store’s opening.

“We’re doing some specials and giveaways,” said owner Victoria Ford. “We’re going to have birthday cake, we’re doing a book drive for the Queer Space Collective.”

And maybe most importantly, they’ll be doing great sales as people turn their holiday shopping focus away from big box stores and to small, local businesses.

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“A day like that makes a huge difference in our overall success over the year,” Ford said. “It’s typically our second busiest day of the year.”

The boost is especially appreciated in places like Uptown, where businesses have struggled recently, and construction on Hennepin didn’t help.

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Foot traffic returns 

Seven months of closures ended Tuesday.

“With the roads opening up this week and with the holidays and everything, it actually brings that regular business,” said Uptown Diner general manager Pablo Forero. “This is what it’s usually been like for us. So it’s nice to see.”

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People packed the Uptown Diner for lunch Friday, but small business owners aren’t sure yet if they’re back to normal or if it’s just a holiday weekend bubble.

They know for sure a lot of the neighboring storefronts have gone vacant in the last four or five years and they’d love to see foot traffic back where it was before the pandemic.

“People were scared away for various reasons,” said Jeff Veigel, who owns Isles Bun & Coffee. “So it’s like, come back. The lakes are still here. It’s still a nice area to walk around. Still a nice area to shop and to live.”

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His coffee and pastry shop — known for the frosted cinnamon twists called puppy dog tails — filled up on Friday as well, but Uptown sidewalks were mostly empty as wind chills dipped near zero.

But businesses like Isles, and Magers and Quinn, and the Uptown Diner are hoping to see big crowds for Small Business Saturday.

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And that their success spills over.

Community impact

“We bring in more people and then more people come around and check out the businesses that are around us as well,” Forero said.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that when you spend $100 at a small business, $48 stay in the community. 

If you spend it at a big-box store or national retailer, only $14 stays.

“We hope for more of it,” said Veigel. “We hope that people remember that year-round.”

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Baking in the best-case scenario before another round of construction in 2025.



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Minneapolis, MN

City officials report less speeding at corners with traffic cameras in Minneapolis

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City officials report less speeding at corners with traffic cameras in Minneapolis


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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis man sentenced to nearly 30 years for murder of Deshaun Hill

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Minneapolis man sentenced to nearly 30 years for murder of Deshaun Hill



A Minneapolis man who pleaded guilty to murdering a high school student in 2022 was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison on Monday.

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It was the second time Cody Fohrenkam was sentenced for fatally shooting 15-year-old Deshaun Hill. He was convicted and sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in February 2023, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later reversed the conviction and granted him a retrial based on illegally obtained incriminating statements.

Fohrenkam, 33, agreed to a plea deal as his second trial was set to start, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder in exchange for Monday’s 340-month sentence. The judge presiding over the hearing gave him credit for 1,476 days already served.

Fohrenkam shot and killed Hill while Hill was walking to a bus stop just blocks from Minneapolis North High School, where Hill was a star quarterback and honor roll student.

One of Hill’s aunts said in a statement shortly before the judge sentenced Fohrenkam that her nephew was “full of life.”

“When he spoke, you listened. He had a soft spirit and a good heart,” she said. “Deshaun was an artist who, as you all know, he took his education seriously. He had dreams and goals. He worked hard to make his family proud.”

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Minneapolis, MN

Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com

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Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com


A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.

Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.

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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.

Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.

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The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.

PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building

Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.

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In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.

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Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.

Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.

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