Coccinella wins sixth straight Minnesota’s Best recognition

Coccinella Mediterranean Heritage in Edina earned Gold for Best Specialty Store and Silver for Best Place to Buy a Gift in the 2026 Minnesota’s Best awards. The family-owned shop has now been honored six years in a row, reflecting its steady ties to Minnesota shoppers and its role as a community gathering place.

Why it matters: - Coccinella’s latest Minnesota’s Best wins show the Edina store has moved from a family tribute to a lasting local business. - The sixth straight year of recognition suggests the shop has built repeat customers, not just one-time interest. - The award results also highlight demand for specialty retail experiences that mix products, conversation and community.

What happened: - Coccinella Mediterranean Heritage won Gold for Best Specialty Store and Silver for Best Place to Buy a Gift in the 2026 Minnesota’s Best awards. - The honors mark the sixth consecutive year the family-owned store has been recognized. - Minnesota’s Best is a Minnesota Star Tribune Readers’ Choice Award program. - The 2026 contest drew nearly one million votes across 390 categories. - The store is located at 4946 France Avenue South in Edina, at 50th & France.

The details: - The Kaplan family opened Coccinella to share Mediterranean food, craftsmanship and traditions with the Minnesota community that welcomed them. - The family’s sons had come to the United States for school, and the experience of being supported by friends, teachers and other families shaped the store’s mission. - Coccinella is founded in 2018 and is family owned. - The store carries Oleavia extra virgin olive oils produced in Türkiye. - The shelves also feature Aegean Breeze Turkish textiles and Mediterranean ceramics made by artisans the family knows and works with. - The business also includes specialty foods, artisan pieces and gift items tied to Mediterranean life. - Umut Kaplan, director of business development, said six years of recognition reflects repeat visits, returning families and word of mouth rather than storefront branding alone. - Seher Kaplan, co-founder and president, said the store’s team helps people feel at home and is a big part of the recognition. - The family said key moments often happen during olive oil tastings, cups of Turkish coffee and longer conversations. - The store’s website is the company’s website.

Between the lines: - The awards point to a broader shift in retail: customers are rewarding places that offer experience and connection, not just products. - Coccinella’s story also taps into Minnesota’s appetite for locally rooted businesses with a clear personal narrative. - The family is using the award to reinforce its identity as a neighborhood store with regional reach, not just an import shop.

What's next: - The Kaplan family wants shoppers from beyond Edina, including St. Paul, Woodbury and other parts of Minnesota, to visit the store. - The business is continuing to position Coccinella as a place where visitors can discover Mediterranean products and linger over conversation. - The family is extending a simple invitation to new customers: come in and say hello.

The bottom line: - Six years in a row, Coccinella has turned hospitality into repeat business and local recognition.