“When you cook, you need to be on your best mental behavior and think about how people will feel eating your food. You want to share that spiritual energy and hope that people will receive if from the meal”- Petrina (Creator/Owner of Asase Yaa)
The idea for opening Asase Yaa came out of a conversation on a beach in Mexico between the current owner Petrina and her best friend Gina. They both decided that Petrina’s thoughtful appreciation for cooking should be shared with the world. In 1998, Asase Yaa was created. Its first store location was at 318 E Hennepin SE. The business soon outgrew that location and moved to 2922 Bryant Ave. In 2004, due to a personal injury, Petrina closed the restaurant and retired from the food business. She spent an entire year away from working with food, but being outside of her passion made her terribly depressed. She decided that the only way to get back to her normal self was to cook for people again. Petrina started getting into the festival circuit and amped up her catering business. Since then her popularity in both fields are causing her business to grow every year!
More About Petrina:
Asase Yaa founder Petrina was adopted as a child from Ghana in West Africa and grew up on a farm in West Germany. She came to Minnesota as an exchange student to Minneapolis Community College and Augsburg College. Though Petrina’s degrees are in Criminal Justice and Human Services, it was her picky eating and love for the art of cooking that convinced her to go into the restaurant and catering business. Petrina began going back to her native Ghana 8 years ago, and has purchased land and built a five bedroom home for orphan children. She returns every year for a month long visit and spends time trying to influence the environment the children while laughing and of course - eating.
Mpls St Paul Magazine - August 2001 (click image)
The Wedge - July 2003 (click image)
We would like to give special thanks to everybody that has given their love and unyielding support to us as we continue on in our journey.
First Avenue Staff
YO! The Movement People
Harmony Park Staff
Lake Harriet Spiritual Community
Red Hot Art Fair Staff
Powderhorn Park Staff
Pride Festival Staff
Mayor Rybek
Judge Jange LaJune