Care, Dignity, and Connection: Afro Deli Partners with Kitchen Coalition

It is Valentine’s Day morning, and I am feeling the love in Lowertown. Abdirahman Kahin, the Owner of Afro Deli, and Executive Chef Moussa have invited me into their Saint Paul restaurant to see the process of Kitchen Coalition  meals being prepped, cooked, and packaged for our community.

Kitchen Coalition, Second Harvest Heartland's prepared meals program, currently distributes about 25,000 meals each week to individuals and families with barriers to cooking. Afro Deli is one of Kitchen Coalition’s kitchen partners who turns food bank ingredients into nutritious, freshly prepared meals.

Afro Deli was one of the first places that I had dined at upon moving to Minnesota. My family and I sat outside on the terrace in the warm June sun and ate chapati wraps as my then one-year-old spilled Somali rice and French fries all over himself and the table. I had noticed the Kitchen Coalition partnership sign while paying for our food, excited by the fact that I had chosen a place to eat lunch that was dedicated to helping feed the community.

I was surprised by how large the operation is—while the storefront is small, there is a massive kitchen and staging area in the back of the building; something that makes perfect sense when you realize the volume of food Afro Deli serves in a day to customers, coupled with the over 800 meals they prepare each day for Kitchen Coalition. A chef seasons large pieces of goat meat on a range top, while another chef stirs a large bubbling pot of red beans. “These are the real stars,” says Chef Moussa, as the scent of cumin floats through the air.

An Afro Deli chef prepares red beans in a giant pot.

The meal being prepared today is goat meat with Somali rice, beans, and bean bread. “Our dishes include chicken, fish, goat, and beef options, as well as vegan and vegetarian meals,” says Kahin. “We focus on incorporating a variety of vegetables to support healthy eating.”

In a separate room, Kahin and other workers start an assembly line to help plate the food. While many of Kitchen Coalition’s partners produce meals that are refrigerated or frozen, these meals are served warm, so timing is of the essence. 

“We deliver meals door to door and stay in touch with our clients to accommodate their changing dietary needs as they age,” says Kahin. “It’s about more than food—it’s about care, dignity, and connection.”

“We can’t say no to our elders,” laughs Chef Moussa. “So, we have a few special meals we prepare—some don’t want rice, others want more bread. They’ll let you know about it! We really get to know the community.”

Afro Deli papres over 800 meals per day for Kitchen Coalition.

Afro Deli has six drivers who help deliver meals to apartment buildings, senior centers, and religious centers across the Twin Cities. “We have a lot of elders who the only contact they have with anyone is our drivers,” says Chef Moussa. Kahin agrees, “Since COVID-19, our communities—especially low-income families and elders who are unable to cook—have become even more vulnerable due to the rising cost of food. Providing meals is our way of supporting them through those challenges. We’ve seen how access to healthy, culturally appropriate meals can truly improve people’s health and well-being.” A moment that sticks with Kahin was a conversation with a blind elder who told them that the meals from Afro Deli helped manage their diabetes. “There was also a single mom who said the meals brought her peace of mind each day.” 

Kitchen Coalition and Afro Deli’s partnership began during the COVID months, as Afro Deli was actively looking for partners to help fund and distribute cooked meals to vulnerable communities in the Twin Cities. “We had no customers coming in, but we had all this food that is perishable. There was no time to wait,” recalls Chef Moussa. “We said ‘let’s cook it and give it away’. We went to the mosques and the community. In my mind I thought we couldn’t do this work—it was up to nonprofits, big companies, food shelves. But I never thought that we could be the ones cooking.”

“Partnering with Kitchen Coalition has been a lifeline for our business,” says Kahin. “The support allowed us to retain twenty employees who would’ve otherwise lost their jobs. At a time when we were struggling, the partnership gave us stability and purpose, helping us keep our team together and continue serving the community.”

Abdirahman Kahin, Afro Deli's owner, is dedicated to keeping his community fed.

“We had four restaurants,” says Chef Moussa. “Kitchen Coalition said we will cover your costs, and we will cover your food. It worked out perfectly and beautifully.”

Afro Deli provides not only delicious and nutritious meals, but comfort to their community. It is truly an honor to see the process of how a meal goes from raw ingredients to feeding people across the state. 
As the Kitchen Coalition meals are loaded into brown paper bags and insulated cooler bags for delivery, I tell Kahin and Chef Moussa about how this is a full circle moment for me—that one of my first meals after a long few days of moving cross-country was at Afro Deli. 

“You made a good choice,” says Chef Moussa. “The food. The people. Nothing can beat Minnesota.”