Owamni, the award-winning native restaurant from chef Sean Sherman, will relocate just down the river to the restaurant space on the main floor of the Guthrie Theater in the spring of 2026.
The restaurant, part of the nonprofit group North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, will double in size by moving out of its original spot in the Water Works Pavilion.
“We are so grateful to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Water Works Pavilion for giving Owamni our solid start — we outgrew our original location almost from the moment we opened,” Sherman said in a news release. “The Guthrie space gives us the opportunity to share Indigenous cuisine with more diners, and we can’t wait to bring it to life.”
Owamni opened in 2021 to immediate acclaim, and with that came difficulty scoring a reservation. The restaurant focuses on ingredients native to our land, avoiding commodities introduced by colonizers such as wheat flour, dairy and sugar. The James Beard Foundation named it the Best New Restaurant in 2022, cementing its importance — and popularity.
The original location was chosen for its proximity to the river, something that will remain with its new spot, which has housed many excellent restaurants over the years. The last restaurant to occupy the space, Sea Change, shut down during the pandemic and never reopened.
“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,” Sherman said.
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