An upscale Somali restaurant at Lake and Nicollet? Owner of Martiya is undaunted and filling tables

After 16 years running Afro Deli and Grill, the popular casual restaurant with three Twin Cities locations, its owner said it was time for a higher-end Somali restaurant. Martiya, which means “guest” in Somali, has opened on Nicollet Avenue near Lake Street in south Minneapolis, offering Somali diaspora cuisine. Abdirahman Kahin, a native of Djibouti, says Martiya will bridge the gap between Muslim and East African communities and the local fine-dining scene. “Martiya came in response to the community’s demand. It was created not only as a business opportunity, but also as a much-needed amenity for the community,” he said. The restaurant is on the ground floor of Opportunity Crossing, an affordable housing complex on Nicollet Avenue built after the riots that followed George Floyd’s 2020 killing by police. The building replaced a Wells Fargo Bank building ravaged during the riots. But the area still has its problems, including a large homeless population. Xaanid, goat s