North Market to close temporarily in North Minneapolis, with community food hub relaunch planned for 2026

North Market, a nonprofit grocery store that has served as a critical food access point in the Webber-Camden neighborhood of North Minneapolis since 2017, will temporarily close to the public beginning February 1, 2026, as its owner, Pillsbury United Communities, prepares a comprehensive relaunch under a new model later that year.

The pause marks the end of North Market’s current full service grocery operation and the beginning of what Pillsbury United Communities is calling “North Market 2.0,” a redesigned community food hub intended to be more financially resilient while continuing to address long standing food access inequities on the city’s North Side.

A defined timeline for transition

According to Pillsbury United Communities, North Market will operate on a reduced schedule from January 4 through January 31, 2026, with doors open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., as the organization winds down retail operations and prepares the facility for redevelopment.

The store will officially close to the public on February 1, 2026. Pillsbury has identified the second half of 2026 as the target window for reopening the site in its new form.

Why the current model could not hold

Despite its community role and steady foot traffic, North Market has struggled under the economic realities of the grocery business. Pillsbury United Communities says the store has served approximately 2,500 customers per week, yet remained financially fragile.

Grocery retail is a notoriously low margin industry, typically operating at margins of 1 to 3 percent. Unlike national or regional chains such as Cub Foods or Target, North Market lacked the purchasing leverage and scale needed to keep costs down while remaining competitive on price.

Compounding those pressures was the store’s reliance on philanthropy. Pillsbury has said that roughly 30 percent of North Market’s operating revenue came from donations. As inflation drove up food, labor, and utility costs, fluctuations in charitable giving made the existing model increasingly unsustainable.

In a public statement, Pillsbury described the decision to pause operations as a necessary step rather than a retreat.

“Pausing now gives us the space to plan carefully, work with community and partners, and build a model that can last,” the organization said.

Impact on staff

As a result of the closure, all current staff positions at North Market, estimated at about 16 employees, will conclude on January 31, 2026. Pillsbury United Communities has said that employees in good standing will be eligible for rehire elsewhere within the organization and will be offered transition support during the interim period.

The stakes for North Minneapolis

North Market opened in December 2017 at 4414 North Humboldt Avenue, on a site that had previously housed a supermarket and sat vacant for years. Its launch was widely seen as a response to the loss of full service grocery options in North Minneapolis and the broader conversation around so called food deserts.

The temporary closure reopens those concerns. For many residents, particularly seniors and households without cars, North Market has been one of the most accessible options for fresh food. The nearest traditional grocery alternative, Colonial Market, is roughly two miles away, a distance that can be challenging for residents who rely on walking or public transit.

City leaders have acknowledged the gap the closure will create. In recent months, Minneapolis officials have publicly discussed the possibility of a municipal run grocery store as one potential long term strategy for stabilizing food access on the North Side, though no formal plan has yet been adopted.

What “North Market 2.0” aims to become

Pillsbury United Communities says the relaunch will not simply recreate the existing store. Instead, North Market 2.0 is envisioned as a community food hub that shares costs, diversifies revenue, and aligns food access with economic opportunity.

Planned elements of the new model include:

• A BIPOC food business incubator, designed to accelerate enterprises owned by Black, Indigenous, and other entrepreneurs of color
• Strategic partnerships with local and regional organizations, including entrepreneur Houston White, founder of The Get Down Coffee; Second Harvest Heartland; and Youthprise
• A continued presence for Wendy’s House of SOUL, a well known local eatery
• Expanded urban agriculture, workforce development, and youth leadership pathways
• Stronger connections between food access, health initiatives, and community services

Pillsbury has said it is also exploring deeper collaboration with Hennepin County and other public partners as part of the redevelopment.

A bridge, not an ending

North Market’s origins were shaped by significant public and philanthropic investment, including millions of dollars raised to launch the store and later financing support through city issued tax exempt revenue bonds. Those investments underscored the belief that food access is not only a market issue, but a public good.

The months between February and the eventual relaunch will test that belief again. For residents, the closure means adjusting routines and seeking alternatives. For policymakers and civic leaders, it renews the question of how essential services like grocery access can be sustained in communities where profit margins alone do not tell the full story.

Pillsbury United Communities maintains that the pause is intended to strengthen, not abandon, that mission. If North Market 2.0 succeeds, it may offer a model not just for North Minneapolis, but for other urban neighborhoods grappling with the same structural challenges.

For now, the lights will dim on Humboldt Avenue on February 1. What returns in 2026 will aim to prove that community centered food access can evolve, endure, and still serve the people it was built for.

MinneapoliMedia