Life Juices, Vikings and Goddess Pie honored by city

The Saint Paul City Council announces the nineth annual Saint Paul Business Awards winners. They will recognize the five winners and celebrate the efforts of Saint Paul business owners at the City Council Special meeting on Nov. 25 with a reception to follow. The awards acknowledge and celebrate local businesses that offer community engagement, essential services, investments in their employees, and a commitment to Saint Paul’s values of equity and diversity.

After hours of deliberation and difficult decisions, Jill Pavlak remarked, “Huge congratulations to all the St. Paul Business Award winners! Your success is a win for our city.” While consensus was difficult to achieve, selection committee members all agreed that the selected businesses are phenomenal pieces in the Saint Paul community.
Tom Schroder, a veteran of the Selection Committee process, concluded, “It's so heartening to see all the wonderful small businesses that operate in the city. It's businesses like these that make Saint Paul a great place to live and work!”

Businesses are selected for an award in several categories based on nominations from the community. 

The following are the winners of this year’s Business Awards:
• Italian Pie Shoppe, 1670 Grand Avenue (Ward 3) - Traditions Award - Honoring a business that has been active in Saint Paul for at least twenty years. (Runner-up: 620 Club)
• Life Juices, 450 Lexington Parkway N (Ward 1) - People’s Choice Award - Recognizing a business celebrated by Saint Paul residents for its excellence. (Runner-up: Tease Salon)
• Lost Fox, 213 E 4th Street, Suite 100 (Ward 2) - New Kid on the Block Award - Honoring a business that has opened in Saint Paul within the last five years. (Runner-up: Cancun Mexican Grill & Cantina)
• Minnesota CarePartner, d/b/a Roots Wellness Center, 1916 University Avenue W (Ward 4) - Good Neighbor Award - Honoring a business that has demonstrated dedication to improving the community. (Runner-up: 106 Group)
• Vikings and Goddess Pie, 2036 Marshall Avenue (Ward 4) - Alice O'Brien Award – Honoring a woman-owned business committed to equity and empowerment. (Runner-up: Phe Coffee)
The Selection Committee, a group composed of previous award winners, reviewed the applications and made the final decisions. The Saint Paul City Council appreciates their dedication to the process. The selection committee included:
• Benita Warns of Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles (2022 Good Neighbor Award Winner)
• Jill Pavlak of Urban Growler Brewing Company (2017 Alice O’Brien Award Winner)
• Kathy Sunberg of Ginkgo Coffeehouse (2021 People’s Choice Award Winner)
• Matt Kenevan of Dabbler Depot (2023 Good Neighbor Award Winner)
• Tom Schroeder of Waldmann Brewery (2019 New Kids on the Block Award Winner)

This year, Saint Paul Business Awards Winners will once again receive an offer from Clear Channel Outdoor to feature the recipients at six digital ad spaces throughout the City of Saint Paul. 
Read about past award winners and learn more about the categories and criteria for submitting a nomination at www.stpaul.gov/business-awards.
The awards winners will be recognized at a Special City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. in City Hall, 15 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN, Council Chambers – Room 300. Watch this special meeting live on the City of Saint Paul – Calendar at stpaul.legistar.com.