MINNEAPOLIS — When Elias Usso opened Seward Pharmacy on Lake Street in 2019, he never imagined it would be destroyed less than a year later during the civil unrest following George Floyd's murder.
"It was a very difficult time," he said.
Now, two years later, Usso's business has overcome setbacks, serving the diverse Lake Street community.
"We're on the right track right now," said Usso.
Two miles away in George Floyd Square, a new coffee shop is changing the narrative — one cup at a time.
"Come have a conversation, cup of coffee and just build networks," said owner of Forreal Coffeehouse, Billy Jones.
"The focus is to take people from just taking photos, going to the memorial, seeing where this event happened and leaving. You're not just leaving the space, but the community," said co-owner, Disney Foote.
Forreal Coffeehouse is a real estate coffeehouse startup located in the heart of the square.
"We're on our three-month, soft open phase, and then tomorrow into this week, we're leading into the grand opening phase," said Foote.
While their mission is to bring life back to this space.
"Let's bring the resources together; lets do everything we can and move forward," said Foote.
They're brewing new ideas, while keeping George Floyd's memory alive.
"My main thing is not let George Floyd's name go in vain, lets just keep that light up with his name and do something with it," said Jones.
To find out more about Seward Pharmacy, visit the website here.
To find out more about Forreal Coffeehouse, visit the website here.
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