Celebrity chef Robert Irvine recently spent time with Manny Gonzalez, owner of Manny’s Tortas, at his location in the Midtown Global Market. Irvine was in town with the Twin Cities Comcast Business team as part of the Comcast RISE program, whi
ch was created during the pandemic to support small businesses owned by people of color and women through various grants including monetary, marketing and technology grants. In the Twin Cities nearly 400 small businesses were supported through the Comcast RISE program.
Manny’s Tortas is a 2022 RISE award recipient. During their time together, Irvine and Gonzalez shared stories on what brought them to go into the restaurant industry and the importance of giving back to the communities they serve. During their conversation Irvine told Gonzalez, “Restaurants have always been our escape and America was built on small business. We live to eat and I eat to live. And what makes you different, Manny, is how you give back to the community.”
Anyone who has spent time walking through the Midtown Global Market understands how the variety of street foods produces a cultural experience. Irvine acknowledged this while visiting with other merchants, “This place is an incubator of culture. I’m not just getting food or buying products; I’m getting a history lesson here,” shared Irvine.
