Meet MinnyRow, a new Minnesota-centric food market in Hopkins

A mural's message just inside the door at MinnyRow Market says it all: "Keep your friends close and your farmers closer."

For owners Dana and Peter Smith, that locavore's mantra informs most of their decisions, from selecting regionally produced products to forging less-visible partnerships with nearby bankers, graphic designers and even paper suppliers.

"Our mission to work local not only has to do with food but is true across all aspects of our business," says Dana Smith.

Their cheery downtown Hopkins store is a longtime dream for the couple, and an opportunity to marry her retail know-how, gleaned from stints at Nordstrom and Lululemon, and his background in restaurants, marketing and distribution.

MinnyRow Market opened late last fall and has already become a vital source for dozens of premium Minnesota food producers. Customers will encounter pork from Compart Family Farms in Nicollet, Brie from Redhead Creamery in Brooten and freshly milled flours from Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch. Twin Cities standouts include Fiddlehead Farm microgreens, frozen ready-to-bake T-Rex Cookie dough and top-selling Plucky Pickle Dip snacks.

The shop's deli counter also keeps it local, turning out sandwiches using boiled-and-baked output from Rise Bagel Co. in the North Loop, turkey from Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls, soppressata from Red Table Meat Co. in northeast Minneapolis, and other top-shelf ingredients.

"There's a wonderful community of makers here in Minnesota," says Peter Smith. "We like to focus on producers with a unique story, because we want to tell those stories."