Guest chef from Francis Burger kick off new series at Soup For You Café

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Soup For You Café (SFY) will welcome its first-ever guest chef: Chef Lindsey Johnston, who will prepare a special vegan soup for the community. Johnston is a partner and co-owner of Francis, a popular plant-based burger joint with locations in the Northeast and Longfellow neighborhoods of Minneapolis.
This event kicks off a new initiative to feature neighborhood chefs and celebrate the cultural and culinary diversity of the Longfellow community.
“Longfellow is a diverse community, and we want our soups to reflect the neighborhood,” said Judah Nataf, founder of Soup For You. “We are reaching out to local restaurants in the hopes of better representing our guests while also promoting our local food scene.”
“We were incredibly excited to come to Longfellow, but we are blown away by how welcoming and enthusiastic the community has been,” said Francis’s Lindsey Johnston. "We felt at home immediately and are thrilled to bring something different, yet familiar, to the neighborhood. When we were approached by Soup For You to collaborate, it was a resounding yes!”

Francis operates two community-focused, plant-based burger joints with a mission to make vegan food inclusive, delicious, and crave-worthy for everyone – whether you're a lifelong vegan or just curious. They also boast the state’s only fully vegan full bars, where all are welcome regardless of dietary preference or ideology. With a menu free of dairy and easily adaptable to gluten-free and other dietary needs, Francis aims to create a space where food brings people together.
After operating in Northeast for four years and earning the title of Best Vegan Restaurant by Minnesota Monthly in 2022, Francis expanded to its Longfellow storefront in November of 2024  at 3900 East Lake Street.
Soup For You! just celebrated its 10th year of providing free, nutritious lunches to anyone who walks through the door. Originally located in Seward, the café relocated to Longfellow in 2024 and is now housed at Holy Trinity Church (2730 East 31st Street), serving soup weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SFY! operates on a simple but powerful mission: “Feed, nourish, and comfort.” As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SFY offers healthy, lovingly prepared meals without regard to age, housing status, income, immigration status, or any other factor.