Breaking Down Entry Hurdles: Microgrants Empower Somali Sambusa Artisan and Other Culinary Startups to Grow
Mariam Mohamed is the brilliant mind behind Hoyo, one of the lucky dozen startups chosen for 2024 microgrants awarded by the benevolent Market Entry Fund. You might have bumped into her on October 1, 2024, bustling around Hoyo’s hustle-and-bustle Bloomington spot. Cheers to Dymanh Chhoun and Sahan Journal for shining a spotlight on this!
In Somali language, “Hoyo” translates to the word “mother.”
Back in 2015, the Mohamed sisters, including Mariam, Halima, and Asha, thought of a grand plan. They decided to put Somali women to work making their cherished Somali delight, sambusas, which are crispy pastries stuffed with seasoned beef.
Fast forward several years, and Hoyo’s tale is of triumph. The company churns out a whopping 200,000 sambusas each year, feeding schools throughout Minnesota. Even co-ops and local supermarkets carry these savory triangles.
The company is amongst a select group of 12 food makers celebrating new financial backing from The Market Entry Fund (TMEF). This is a nonprofit in St. Paul striving to uplift food and drink creators from underrepresented backgrounds.
The TMEF Micro-Grants Program tosses financial lifelines ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to small food businesses. The mission . . . to bulldoze the barriers that these startups face in the packaged food industry.
This year’s batch had an eclectic gathering—from Linko Food, a Taiwanese sausage virtuoso, to Junita’s Jar, bringing cookies to Target’s aisles.
“Our survival is all thanks to those standing beside us, aiding us in life’s arena,” remarked Mariam Mohamed of Hoyo. “If you belong to any ethnic crowd kicking off in the food game, having a supportive squad who knows the ins and outs is essential.”
Kayla Yang-Best, TMEF’s savvy president, introduced the grant idea in 2019—a real game-changer for everyone involved.
A few years back in 2017, she led a “social purpose” grocery initiative, allowing budding businesses to stock their goods on her shelves and keep every penny earned. Here, she witnessed firsthand the tight spots many businesses were navigating.
“The retail wave kept bringing makers ashore seeking guidance, but we were mere merchants, not mentors,” expressed Yang-Best. “They came with questions needing business back-up, licensing, and packaging advice—all of those wrap-around necessities.”
Yang-Best informed us that foundations—private, corporate, and community—fund these grants, which grew from around $35,000 in 2019 to a robust $100,000 recently.
The nonprofit serves businesses facing an array of bumps in the road.
Yang-Best illuminated the situation: “From grappling with inspection procedures to confronting language barriers, startups have hurdles aplenty. Certain methods don’t jive with Western norms.”
Navigating culinary code compliance and staffing challenges are at the forefront for many.
“Recruiting new hires has been in our crosshairs,” Hoyo emphasizes.
Picture a hustling weekday where Mariam and Halima Mohamed commanded the crafting of 3,000 savory sambusas in their sparkling kitchen space in Bloomington.
Oil bubbling and the comforting aroma of garlic, onions, and beef filled the air as the pastries cooked under their attentive gaze.
At the core of Hoyo’s operations is the ambition to offer meaningful employment for immigrants striving toward new beginnings in America, as shared by Mariam.
“While $15 an hour is now standard, we’ve been offering this wage alongside transportation perks, allowing flexibility and understanding. No sudden firings here,” Mariam disclosed.
Joani Essenburg, who excels in Hoyo’s sales and distribution, noted that language difficulties, skill shortages, and traditional attire have presented challenges for Somali women job-seekers.
Nevertheless, before employing anyone, Hoyo had a hurdle: simplifying the product freezing process.
Thanks to collaboration with mastermind Matt Glover and General Mills, the Mohamed sisters achieved a breakthrough in frozen sambusa development and perfected packaging.
Hoyo’s odyssey began at farmers’ markets, soaring to the wider food circles seen in state co-ops, and finally earning partnerships with schools to enrich lunch offerings.
Sisters Mariam and Halima Mohamed, beneficiaries of 2024 microgrants provided by the Market Entry Fund, greeted visitors at their Bloomington base on October 1, 2024, thanks to Dymanh Chhoun and Sahan Journal for capturing such a moment.
Today, Hoyo delivers tasty sambusas to 24 schools across Minnesota and stocks its wares in 60 retail spaces.
“Schools recognize its dual identity: they’re not just serving food but igniting cultural dialogue,” Mariam explained. “That sparks our ambition to go nationwide, spreading sambusas to more school districts.”
Despite burgeoning success, Hoyo has encountered its share of hurdles.
In March 2023, the company had to recall over a thousand pounds of goods due to contamination fears tied to steel scrubbers.
A complaint from a school prompted Hoyo to alert the USDA.
“Steel scrubbers were our initial tool of choice for cleaning, before it made an unplanned debut in a sambusa,” Essenburg clarified.
Post-incident, Hoyo made the switch to using sponges for cleaning, Essenburg detailed.
Despite a robust business journey, the spotlight remains on refining their operation and chasing further funds or investments to support growth.
And Mariam’s focal mission . . . taking sambusa from a local love to a broader-hearted affair while nurturing close ties with her workforce.
According to Yang-Best, grant-assisted businesses enjoy a plethora of victories. Some, like Hoyo, lock in school contracts, while others see retail placement blossoms, such as Junita’s Jar in Target.
Yang-Best observed, “While Minnesota’s heartbeat is the local food movement, newcomers in packaged edibles face more walls entering the market compared to veterans.”
Another grant recipient this year is Linko Food, helmed by Sasha Szutu and her husband Eddie Shih, pioneers of Taiwanese sausage craft.
Shih unpacked their recipe for success: pork blended with spices and a splash of vodka, a dash of mystery with a shorter aging process than usual.
Unlike Hoyo’s substantial staff, Linko Food is powered by its founding duo.
Shih expressed hope that TMEF’s grant could power their growth engine.
“We’re a small crew now, but aiming high,” Shih articulated. “Business dreams are universal—grants could tweak our gears and elevate our process.”
Linko Food pleases taste buds with their Taiwanese sausage offerings at two esteemed Minnesota venues: United Noodles in Minneapolis, and the Asian Food Store in Rochester.
Shih shared how their Taiwanese kin in California and Chicago have forged links with local vendors, branching further afield.
As pitched by Yang-Best, TMEF’s vision involves amplifying meal-worthy food businesses, not just snack niches.
Another ambition is to nudge ventures like Linko into realms of robust commercial sustainability.
Yang-Best imagined aloud, “Still within cultural circles, the leap remains to scale where sustainability shines large.”
Shih and Szutu, with limitless zeal, sizzled sausages at summer festivities aiming to woo fresh clientele beyond familiar haunts.
Shih’s aspiration is unabashed: stand as America’s beacon for Taiwanese sausages.
“We dream of growing recognition and love for our craft, packaging us for wider distribution,” he mused. “As sales and fortunes rise, expansion follows, maybe even branching into new flavors.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
