North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

Indigenous Food Systems & Cultural Food Servicesnatifs.org

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that operates Indigenous kitchens, restaurants, and educational programs to revive Indigenous foodways, address food-related health disparities, and support tribal communities across North America.

Company typePrivate
Founded2020
HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems does

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) is a Minneapolis-based 501-style nonprofit founded in 2020 by three-time James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota, from Pine Ridge, South Dakota) to re-establish Indigenous foodways across North America. The organization addresses food-related health disparities, cultural knowledge loss from forced assimilation, and economic impoverishment on tribal lands through a vertically integrated portfolio of professional Indigenous kitchens, retail operations, training programs, and educational materials. NATIFS operates the Indigenous Food Lab, a training center and wholesale commissary in Minneapolis that nixtamalizes heirloom corn from Ute Mountain, New Mexico into hominy, masa, and tortillas for sale to local restaurants.

The operating portfolio includes Owamni (a full-service Indigenous restaurant acquired by NATIFS in September 2023, featuring a majority Native staff and showcasing Native-made products), the Indigenous Food Lab Market (an online-only Square storefront selling Native-made goods and Indigenous food products), the Šhotá Indigenous BBQ counter-service concept (takeout, delivery, catering), and the Tatanka Truck food truck for events. A second full-service restaurant site is planned at the Guthrie Theater in 2026, and a central Indigenous Food Sovereignty hub called Wóyute Thipí ("Food Building" in Dakota) is under development at 2601 Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, scheduled to open in 2026 to house Šhotá, a large-scale commissary kitchen, and NATIFS headquarters. A second Indigenous Food Lab is also under development at a $29 million HRDC-built facility in Bozeman, Montana.

NATIFS derives revenue from five streams: restaurant operations (Owamni and Šhotá), product sales (online via IFL Market and wholesale to local restaurants), commissary kitchen services planned for schools, hospitals, and universities, catering and event services via the Tatanka Truck, and donations/grants (including a 2024 Elevate Prize of $6M). The Meals for Native Institutions (MNI) Program and Indigenous Recipe Development for Schools & Institutions target K-12, universities, and hospitals with recipes scaled to 100 servings. Through the 2023 USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, partner Indigenous chefs and foragers across seven U.S. regions plus Hawaii develop recipes, plant identification materials, and cooking videos that combine Indigenous foods with those available through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The organization's primary segments are tribal communities, schools and institutions, the general public, Indigenous food producers and entrepreneurs (over 30 supplied through Owamni and the IFL Market), and aspiring Indigenous culinary professionals.

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems firmographics

Firmographics

Name: North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems
Legal name: North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems
Website: https://natifs.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2020
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that operates Indigenous kitchens, restaurants, and educational programs to revive Indigenous foodways, address food-related health disparities, and support tribal communities across North America.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems industry classification

Industry

Product category: Indigenous Food Systems & Cultural Food Services
NAICS: Community Food Services (624210), Food Manufacturing (311), Food Service Contractors (72231)
SIC: Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
akta.pro primary industry: Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Ethnic & international prepared meals manufacturing (AFAKAHAG), Frozen Ethnic & International Meals (CRADADAE), DTC Frozen & Prepared Meal Delivery (AFAIANAJ), Ethnic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAB)

Keywords

Indigenous food systems
Native food education
Indigenous restaurant services
Culinary training programs
Indigenous food retail

Where North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Minneapolis
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Restaurant Operations: Revenue from Owamni full-service Indigenous restaurant (acquired September 2023) and Šhotá Indigenous BBQ counter-service restaurant, featuring majority Native staff and Indigenous-sourced products.
Product Sales: Online retail sales of Indigenous food products including wild rice, heirloom corn, beans, hominy, masa, tortillas, and other Native-made goods through the Indigenous Food Lab Market. Also wholesale sales to local restaurants.
Commissary Kitchen Services: The Indigenous Food Lab serves as a commissary kitchen for Owamni and generates revenue by producing Indigenous foods at scale for public institutions including schools, hospitals, and universities.
Catering and Events: Tatanka Truck food truck and offsite event catering services for food truck festivals and events.
Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, NATIFS relies on donations, grants, in-kind gifts, estate gifts, and sponsorships to support operations and mission activities.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Restaurant dining at Owamni
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Šhotá Indigenous BBQ counter-service
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Online product sales (IFL Market)
Transaction based/ take rate	Pay-as-you-go	Wholesale to restaurants
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Institutional/kitchen rental

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems product offering

Product offering

Core offering

NATIFS operates a portfolio of interconnected food and education programs centered on Indigenous food sovereignty, including the Indigenous Food Lab (a professional training kitchen and commissary that produces nixtamalized corn products like hominy, masa, and tortillas), the Owamni full-service Indigenous restaurant, the Šhotá Indigenous BBQ counter-service restaurant, the Indigenous Food Lab Market online store for Native-made goods, the Tatanka Truck food truck, and institutional feeding programs (Meals for Native Institutions and Recipe Development for Schools & Institutions). The nonprofit also produces downloadable educational resources, cooking videos, and recipes developed in partnership with the USDA FDPIR program across seven U.S. regions.

Product overview

NATIFS operates a portfolio of interconnected programs and facilities centered on Indigenous food sovereignty. The core offerings include the Indigenous Food Lab (training center and wholesale producer of nixtamalized corn products), the Indigenous Food Lab Market (e-commerce store for Native-made goods), and Owamni restaurant (full-service Indigenous dining). Upcoming expansion includes Wóyute Thipí hub (housing Šhotá Indigenous BBQ and commissary kitchen), institutional feeding programs (MNI, recipe development for schools), and the USDA FDPIR partnership for recipe development across U.S. regions. Educational resources include plant cards, ingredient profiles, recipe cards, lesson plans, and booklets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Owamni Restaurant A full-service Indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis featuring a majority Native staff and showcasing true North American Indigenous foods and culture; reservations through Resy, planning to relocate to the Guthrie Theater restaurant space in 2026.
Indigenous Food Lab

Quantifiable outcome

Over 30 Indigenous food producers supported through Owamni restaurant and IFL Market
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Indigenous Food Sovereignty InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NĀTIFS participates in the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative as part of its Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis. Partner Indigenous chefs across the country develop recipes and cooking videos demonstrating how to combine Indigenous and locally forageable foods with items available through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
Partner Indigenous ChefscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous chefs from seven regions across the country (Northeastern, Southeastern, Midwest-Mountain Plains, Western-Southwest, Alaska, Hawaii) partner with NATIFS to develop recipes and cooking videos for the USDA FDPIR program.
Partner Indigenous ForagerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Indigenous foragers from each region identify forageable foods and develop plant identification sheets and videos demonstrating how to identify and responsibly harvest Indigenous foods.
Indigenous Food Producers and PurveyorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 30 Indigenous food producers and purveyors supply products to Owamni restaurant and the Indigenous Food Lab Market. NATIFS works to broaden access to Native-made goods and allow entrepreneurs to expand their markets.
Human Resource Development Center (HRDC) - Bozeman, MTflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRDC in Bozeman built a $29 million facility with state-of-the-art kitchen to house the country's second Indigenous Food Lab, expanding ongoing work creating recipes, holding cooking workshops, and producing cooking videos. Expected to open in 2025.
Darryl MontanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarryl Montana (O'odham), who worked closely with Sean Sherman at Owamni, opened The Frybread Lounge in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona in August 2024 - the first and only Indigenous-owned restaurant in upscale Old Town Scottsdale.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Compass Group: Largest contract foodservice and support services company globally; supplies K-12, university, and hospital feeding programs at scale. Represents the institutional incumbents NATIFS is positioning against for the MNI Program.
Aramark: Major contract foodservice operator serving schools, hospitals, and universities. Closest incumbent for the institutional feeding channel NATIFS is targeting via its commissary kitchen.
Newman's Own: Mission-driven food company donating 100% of profits to charity. Useful reference point for nonprofit/hybrid food ventures that pair commercial revenue with philanthropic mission.
Patagonia Provisions: Mission-driven packaged-food brand from Patagonia selling regenerative and traditional foods. Closest scaled analog of an activist-brand food company translating values into a wholesale/DTC product catalog.

Emerging players

DC Central Kitchen: Nonprofit operating commissary kitchens to supply school meals and workforce training. Closest operating model analog to the MNI/Indigenous Food Lab commissary concept at a comparable nonprofit scale.

Direct peers

The Frybread Lounge: Indigenous-owned restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale founded by Darryl Montana (O'odham), who trained under Sean Sherman at Owamni. Operates as a Native-led restaurant rooted in Indigenous cuisine.
Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative: University of Arkansas-based nonprofit focused on Indigenous food sovereignty policy, tribal agriculture, and food systems education. Mission and constituency overlap substantially with NATIFS' non-commercial pillars.
First Nations Development Institute: Native-led nonprofit advancing economic development and food sovereignty in tribal communities. Comparable on grant-funded mission operating model serving Native communities nationally.
Native American Natural Foods (Yana): Native-owned producer of Indigenous-inspired snack/food bars. Most direct commercial peer building a Native-branded packaged-foods business around Indigenous ingredients.
Tocabe: An American Indian eatery and market in Denver serving Indigenous-inspired cuisine and Native-made goods. Closest for-profit restaurant/market analog to NATIFS' Owamni and IFL Market concept.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries6 records

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

What does North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems do?

Is North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems a public or private company?

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems founded?

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems based?

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.

How does North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Operations are the primary driver. The others are product Sales, commissary Kitchen Services, catering and Events and donations and Grants.

Who are North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Compass Group, Aramark, Newman's Own and Patagonia Provisions. DC Central Kitchen is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are The Frybread Lounge, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, First Nations Development Institute, Native American Natural Foods (Yana) and Tocabe.

Does North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems have an API?

No public API is recorded for North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems.

What industry is North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems in?

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems's product category is Indigenous Food Systems & Cultural Food Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of AFAKAHAG, Ethnic & international prepared meals manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 624210 and its SIC code is 2030.