New Black-owned pizza shop emerges in NE Minneapolis
Pizza lovers now have yet another option to try in Minneapolis. Adam Kado and Hosie Thurmond are the owners of Slice, a pizzeria located along East Hennepin in Northeast Minneapolis. Customers can expect New York-style pizza by the slice, prepared with fresh ingredients.
The business partners are longtime best friends who grew up in St. Paul. As adults, they chose to become business partners. They’ve invested countless hours and worked hard to make their dream a reality.
Thurmond explained how they developed the business concept in August 2019. The duo encountered setbacks in the beginning stages but remained focused. “We wanted to open sometime in 2020,” Thurmond said. “But obviously with the pandemic and everything, it pushed everything back, so that’s what put us behind.” Fortunately, the owners were able to hold a grand opening for the new pizza shop on October 2, 2021.
During the pandemic, the owners paid rent for two years even though the business wasn’t open to the public. They kept going and made necessary renovations to ensure the business would open.
Despite trying times, the businessmen worked together and decided to diversify their income by investing in property and establishing more business ventures. Entrepreneurship is in their blood.
Thurmond elaborated, “We’ve always had an entrepreneurial type of mindset, which kind of comes from where we came from and the community, working in the corporate, basketball world—we’ve had a few other endeavors that we tried to get [off] the ground that were really good ideas.”
As a result of their grind, the entrepreneurs have garnered a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience that they’ve incorporated into their new roles as business owners. Kado said, “It can take a lot of work, but if you’re someone who is consistent and willing to put the time in, you can survive.” Perseverance is key.
There’s an interesting backstory behind their entrepreneurial journeys. Kado used to play professional basketball overseas. He serves as a coach for youth and professionals. Kado also launched a trucking company, Kado Transport, LLC, which is supported by Thurmond.
Thurmond established a popular screen-printing business known as Supply. The business was contracted to print orders for notable companies including Footaction, Boston Scientific, Target, Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, Center for Economic Inclusion, Slice, and many more.
Overall, the owners inherited their strong work ethic from hard-working family members. Kado said, “We both come from blue-collar families. Hosie, his mother was an accountant, and she works really hard. His dad, my mom, I grew up watching her work every day—our parents all had jobs.We have that same work ethic and the mentality.”
Kado elaborated, “If you take those same skills and apply it to your own business, the potential is limitless.” The business owners strive for greatness every day.
Standing next to Thurmond, Kado said, “This is my best friend. So he started Supply and I’m like ok, great, this is what he’s handling—I helped invest with him. And I have the trucking company, Hosie, work with me on that.” As best friends and business partners, they are committed to making their dreams come true.
The New York-style pizza offers high-quality, affordable, and tasty slices of pizza. Residents are embracing the neighborhood business with positive reviews.
Although business is booming, the owners are focused on one location rather than expanding into a franchise. “Right now,” Kado said, “the biggest focus is not to franchise or anything, it’s about serving people in this community in our one little location [300-400 sq ft.], doing the best we can do in this spot.” The owners are grateful for the outpouring of support.
The popular pizzeria stands out as a Black-owned pizzeria and is growing in popularity due to the New York-inspired pizza-by-the-slice business model. Thurmond emphasized how they chose to fill a market niche in the Twin Cities.
“With Slice…we didn’t see a lot of slice-type pizzerias,” Thurmond said. The business concept is more popular in other places: “New York and the East Coast primarily,” he said. The price range is $3-$4 per slice.
Customers can place an order for takeout, delivery, online ordering, or curbside pickup.
Editor’s Note: The owners of Slice recently announced that their shop had to close due to a fire but is set to reopen on November 6 at 12 pm.
Slice is located at 519 E Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414. Business hours are Tuesday to Thursday 12-8 pm, Friday & Saturday 12 pm to 10 pm. The shop is closed Mondays and Sundays. For more info, visit slicepizzamn.getbento.com or call 651-399-3522.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.
