Martina Priadka, owner of ALTBurger in Northeast Minneapolis, has been working in the restaurant industry her entire life. Growing up in Northeast, her friend’s dad owned a Chinese restaurant, where she worked as a server. Martina spent her college years working at Goodfellows to pay for her education. There she worked on her hospitality skills and sommelier certification, at the time only 9 women in the country had the title of Master Sommelier.
Priadka graduated from the University of Minnesota, triple majoring in Journalism, English, and Cultural Studies with the hopes of becoming a writer, but life took her in another direction. Priadka was offered a position to work under a Master Sommelier at a restaurant in New York – to take the final sommelier exam, you must work under a master. To celebrate her new position, she took a trip to Tulum, Mexico. While wandering the neighborhood, she stumbled upon a little bed and breakfast that wasn’t fully up and running. The owners let her stay anyway and while eating dinner at the restaurant one night she saw how overwhelmed they were. Her hospitality instincts kicked in and she jumped in to help. After leaving, the owners emailed her asking if she would come back to set up their bar and wine program. She decided to go off the sommelier track and moved to Mexico. After a year in Mexico, Martina was offered a job in Hong Kong within the restaurant industry, there she stayed for 5 years, doing a little writing and gaining more experience in hospitality.
Martina returned to Northeast Minneapolis to help a sick family member, with the plan to return to Hong Kong but she received a job offer in Minnesota, taking it to stay closer to family. At this new position she met her current chef and started the ideation of a restaurant of their own. When the building that is now the home of ALTBurger became available, Martina knew it was meant to be, it just happens to be on the very same block where her parents met years before, creating a full circle within Martina’s journey.
ALTBurger officially opened its doors April 11th, 2023. It is a small plant-based restaurant – don’t let “plant-based” scare you away – everything is made fresh from scratch with a little bit of magic, and yes there is still dairy, eggs and some meat. Most everything is made in-house including the pasta, fries, and many of the cheeses, by the chef Derik Moran.
“Everyone is looking for a way to eat good food that tastes good and is a whole food rather than processed or commercial. People are thinking more about what is going in their bodies and being more conscientious about finding the places that have a direction in taking care of the food we eat.”
Martina Priadka, ALTBurger
The name ALTBurger is unique and comes from the desire for something that drives home a fun, casual, and exciting atmosphere. One can look at “ALT” and perceive it in many ways – alternative: lifestyle, thought process, ideas. The hope for ALTBurger is a place to come where everyone is welcome. A place you can gather and feel like a community. For trademark purposes, ALTBurger stands for All Love This Burger, and for those who have tried, they really do.
When asked what the best part is of being an entrepreneur Priadka responded with “I don’t think I have reached the best part, but currently it is the learning process.”, but the most challenging part for her has been acquiring capital.
Through WomenVenture’s lending program, Martina gained access to capital. She had been looking for a single partner, researching banks and their philosophies when a few of her restaurant contacts and even banks recommended WomenVenture. “It seemed small, and I am small as well…. Its overall mission and philosophy are worth partnering with. If you are a small business looking to grow, it is a safe place to be.”
The capital that Martina and ALTBurger received from WomenVenture was imperative to the business. The first half went to startup costs and now the second half is going towards becoming an eco-friendlier business, eliminating the amount of waste created by the restaurant. They use compostable containers and have partnered with MNimize to add an eco-tank, where the used fryer oil is stored and then collected and turned into biofuel.
Martina wants the future of ALTBurger to be based around the community of Northeast Minneapolis. The neighborhood has so much history and is one of the quieter neighborhoods in Minneapolis. She doesn’t want the charisma to change, but for the neighborhood to become a destination.
For those thinking about starting a business or becoming an entrepreneur Martina says, “Follow your dream and follow it with as much support and forethought as possible with the expectation that you will be surprised, you will find roadblocks but know you will overcome them.”
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Author: Autumn Lamparty, Grants and Communications Coordinator, AmeriCorps Vista
