Hoyo
Hoyo, a Somali woman-owned business known for its handmade sambusas, just tripled its production space with a new 3,000-square-foot kitchen in the Midtown Global Market. Founded in 2015 to celebrate Somali cuisine and empower immigrant mothers, the business now employs 24 staff from Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ghana — and aims to double production to 8,000 sambusas per day. Supported by the Lake Street Lift initiative, the expansion is a major win for local entrepreneurship and cultural vitality.
A decade ago, Halima Mohamed’s sister, Mariam, showed up at her house with a big idea — and a business partner.
Alongside Matt Glover, Mariam proposed launching a company rooted in a beloved Somali staple: sambusas. The goal wasn’t just to bring the savory pastries to a wider audience, but to empower Somali mothers through employment, celebrate their cooking talents, and share Somali cuisine and culture with the Twin Cities.
That company became Hoyo, which means “mother” in Somali — a name honoring the women at the heart of the business. Since its founding in 2015, Hoyo has grown steadily from its original 750-square-foot kitchen in Bloomington, where sambusas were handmade and packaged by Somali women using a recipe developed by Halima.
On June 17, Hoyo celebrated the grand opening of its new production facility in the lower level of the Midtown Global Market, nearly tripling its footprint to 3,000 square feet. “We’re expecting to make more,” said co-founder Halima Mohamed.
“Sometimes over there [in Bloomington] we made 3,500 to 4,000 sambusas. Here, we’re expecting maybe 8,000.”
The expansion was made possible through support from the Lake Street Council, which backed Hoyo through its Lake Street Lift initiative — an $8 million effort to revitalize businesses in the Lake Street corridor following civil unrest and economic downturns.
“This is a woman-owned, Black-owned, Muslim-owned business that employs mothers,” said Yusra Mohamud, a business advisor for the Lake Street Council. “They embody our mission — entrepreneurship through immigrants and people of color.”
The new facility not only increases production capacity but also includes dedicated office space and upgraded equipment to streamline sambusa making. On opening day, Hannaan Shire, the co-founders’ niece, led tours of the new kitchen.
“One of the biggest differences is probably the size,” Shire said. “It really helps us match the production levels we want to be at and meet demand.”
Hoyo currently employs 24 staff members, including workers from Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ghana. Beyond sambusas, they also produce sauces and other accompaniments that reflect the culinary diversity of their staff.
Community members like Murwo Elmi, who attended the grand opening, say businesses like Hoyo are critical for the city’s economic and cultural vitality. “I always come and support women businesses or any minority businesses that open in Minneapolis,” Elmi said. “This helps our community and people looking for jobs. It’s very important to see that.”
The grand opening came just weeks after the Trump administration reinstated a travel ban affecting Somalia and 11 other countries. Despite national political headwinds, Halima and her sisters say they remain focused on growing Hoyo — and helping others grow with it.
“We hope we grow into a bigger company, hire more people, and make a lot of sambusas,” Halima said. “So it’s enough for everybody.”
For more information, visit www.midtownglobalmarket.org.
Binta Kanteh is a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder