Being in the pop-up community, we have met so many wildly passionate, talented people and tasted some of the most amazing food in the city outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar landscape. A lot of us hopeful restauranteurs don’t have the funding to go all in on a physical space, so we’re starting where we can, but the food that you come for is, we hope, just as delicious, and is certainly made with a lot of love. Good food can truly be found anywhere. Pop-ups are a beautiful stage of the restaurant building process, worth pausing for a moment of gratitude and appreciation.

*Team Dahlia at our first pop-up in 2022 at The Briar.*

When you visit a pop-up, you are often meeting the makers, the founders, the brave individuals who quit their jobs and risked it all to bring their craft and passion to you. It’s not often, even in a local four-walled restaurant setting, that you get such a direct line to the chef. Sometimes people will come to our display table and point at a pastry and ask, “Is it any good?” They assume that the person in front of them is a customer service associate pawning off someone else’s goods because that’s what we’re used to 99% of the time in any other retail setting. When we reply and say, “I hope so, we made it!” their eyes widen and they laugh at the assumption they made. All at the same time, they are suddenly bought in, thrilled to connect with someone and something so pure and direct.

In reverse, it’s amazing that we get to know so many of our customers on a first-name basis because we are there week after week on the front lines. We probably know the name of 1 out of every 3 customers who come by, and we are well aware that won’t always be the case when we grow bigger. It is SUCH a rare occurrence in our world to experience such a short line from maker to consumer, and then further, to devour the thing that connects us in seconds and let that joy become a part of us.

*Talking with customers about the process.*

On the backend, the connection owners make with other businesses is its own special joy. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without these collaborations. We bring people to the host’s space to take advantage of their offerings, and they trade us a home for the day. We share communities and reflect each other’s brand values. It strengthens our messages, extends the reach of our craft, and brings great people together. It’s an expansive little ecosystem filled with respect and a sense of “we’re all in this together.” We love bringing our customers around the city with us to try new things and visit places they’ve never been before. What an amazing opportunity! One we won’t have forever. These businesses have taken chances on us and allowed us to grow from nothing to something, which is all any of us ask for starting out — the opportunity. And someday we can’t wait to pay it forward.

*Dahlia with the Saturday Dumpling Co. crew.*

Now for the most important part: the food. Are you kidding me?! We are absolutely SPOILED with amazing roaming food concepts in the Twin Cities! A lot of times people will say, “that came out of a food truck??” And we should really stop being so surprised. Often, chefs with years of experience are finally getting a chance to make their own food through these concepts. They are highly skilled and have a vision, and are executing it with the most love and care imaginable.

What’s actually crazy is that they are able to make such amazing food within such wildly restrictive limitations compared to a full restaurant. You only have the equipment that fits in your food truck, or like us, you have to design your pastries to fit in a 6x6x3” box that won’t get smashed or fall apart in transport across the city. Beyond the logistics, the stories and thoughtfulness behind these menus are astounding, and we are in constant awe of the entire conceptualization from start to finish.

*Loading up at the Burger Daddies food truck at Blackstack Brewing.*

Behind the art is a ton of hard work. These people are constantly doing what it takes. And not to glorify Hustle Culture, but when your life and your work blur into one and you have such a firm belief in what you’re doing, you will lose sleep and a little bit of your quality of life to launch this thing into being. There is SO much learning in the first year or two of owning a pop-up business. Many of us make mistakes or learn things the hard way, but we are building resilience. We wear literally ALL the hats at once from chef to marketer to dishwasher and bookkeeper. Starting out, we take the hits personally so that one day when we have employees and are responsible for their well-being and livelihood, they will have it a little easier because we figured some of our sh*t out already. Every ounce of that blood, sweat, and tears is equity for the future.

We have so much respect for all the business owners who are working so incredibly hard and showing up with glowing smiles on their sweaty faces to carve out their little piece on this earth and to nourish the souls around them. The pop-up phase of a business is very special, full of dreams and trials that few will even attempt.

Most importantly, we extend a huge thanks to our guests for coming out week after week. We implore you to keep seeking out those pop-up businesses that just might surprise and delight you, and to relish in the genuine connection they’re serving up today.

A Love Letter to Pop-ups