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Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Newpaper Articles about several Eagan businesses - 11/14/1983GLEN STUBBE • gstubbe@startribune.com Jimmy Micek of Restaurant Technologies removed waste oil from a McDonald's in Eagan and delivered fresh cooking oil. The company has auto- mated the messy and dangerous job of delivering fresh cooking oil and removing used oil from restaurants and institutional kitchens. Finding in grease • Fast-growing Restaurant Technologies, which provides cooking oil management services, is looking for new owners and perhaps a chance to go public. ON BUSINESS NEAL ST. ANTHONY Restaurant Technologies Inc. has found success in the oil busi- ness. Cooking oil, that is. The Eagan -based company provides a cooking oil delivery - and -recycling service that safely automates the messiest job in the kitchen and converts a problematic waste product into millions of gallons of clean -burning diesel fuel. CEO Jeff Kiesel, who has spearheaded RTI's growth from $100 million in revenue to an expected $260 million this year, said the company is now on the auction block. The plan is to find a new owner who can take the company to the next level and perhaps go public sometime down the road. A pending settlement in a shareholder lawsuit is expect- ed to clear the way for the company's sale. "We have a good profile for a public com- pany with predictable revenue, consistent growth rate of up to 10 percent annually and solid returns, but we're still a little too small," Kiesel said. "During our sales process we ex- pect new ownership to support us to grow to a size that makes sense in the public mar- ket." Kiesel said Parthenon Capital of Boston, the majority owner that invested in 2001, wants to cash out. ABS Capital of Baltimore, (( WEHAVEAGOOD PROFILE FOR A PUBLIC COMPANY WITH PREDICTABLE REVENUE ... BUT WE'RE STILL A LITTLE TOO SMALL. )) CEO Jeff Kiesel another private equity owner, also may sell some or all of its investment. Meanwhile RTI, which employs 600, is mov- ing from Eagan to a larger, 60,000-square-foot St. Anthony continues on D10 D. roresslonals. as acquired by Zeller Group in 1994 and sold sco four years later. Listed its amenities are an nt view of Normandale asy access from Interstate d Hwy. 100, and its prox- o shops, restaurants and building is immediately' it to a Life Time Fitness new Poor Richard's onhouse restaurant, in September replaced jors Sports Cafe at 8301 ndale,Blvd. 'purchase demonstrates ell -maintained Class B case, vvells Fargo Bank provided the backing. It sold for $124 per square foot, well above the June 2010 metropolitan area average ask- ing price of $102 per square foot for office buildings. But Wel- lington Management President Steve Wellington said the price also reflects some significant ancillary revenue streams as- sociated with the property from leased parking and a cell phone tower. • "It was agood value in terms of the building itself, which is in excellent condition," he said. "It's a high -quality asset located at a'100 percent' corner our typical long-term hold strategy. "In this market, it's a chal- lenge to uncover such well - leased and attractively designed properties" Wellington said the High- land Bank Building deal is the 34th acquisition by his compa- ny, which owns and manages a portfolio of 4.1 million square feet of commercial'property in the Twin Cities with an estimated value of $350 million. - The sale was brokered by Tom O'Brien of Cushman and Wakefield. DON JACOBSON Courtesy of Wellington Management Don Jacobson, a freelance writer hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com. based in St. Paul, can be contacted at t pInhas large risks nay benefit short: le tactic doesn't work? in U.S. Treasurys, as s reinvesting principal nts from its mortgage- 1 holdings • into long - The hope is that ill drive down the price asurys and the cost of ercial bank lending, interest rates are tied to irys. Hopefully the low- rs will spur corporate went and prompt asset ases such as struggling ercial buildings. effect would be induce a bit" of inflation and stem ome see as a looming de- ary spiral caused by mut- sumer demand. The U.S. my has seen consumer ncreases of just 1.1 per- er the past 12 months short of the Fed's stated about 2 percent. ation would be the ase scenario,"- said erst, senior vice pres- f Minnetonka -based Capital., "There you'd situation where your alues continue to fall r debt amount is stat- hat QE2 is going to try stimulate the economy • g inflation a bit. The )n is, how much is it go - push it?" Lon will help' « THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE A SHORT RUN OF LOWER RATES AND NO JOB GROWTH. THAT'S THE RISK. » Ed Padilla, CEO of NorthMarq Capital in Minneapolis., on the danger of fueling inflation. easing will help the commer- cial real estate industry in two ways. One is that building own- ers looking to buy or refinance their properties -will have his- torically low loan interest rates to choose from. And maybe more impor- tantly, he said, "Inflation will help in terms of overall asset values bouncing back and end this situation where when ten- ants are renewing their leases, they're automatically asking for 10,15, 20 percent decreases in their rental rate." Lowering the costs of bor- rowing and perhaps stimulat- ing more lending would be a big help to the commercial real estate industry, said Ed Padilla, CEO of NorthMarq Capital' in Minneapolis. ` "In the commercial real es- tate market, it's a good thing in the short term if you're capable of borrowing money and you your net operating income is increasing." • But; Padilla added, there's a big risk in fueling inflation. "Hopefully job creation will happen in the meantime.... The worst -case scenario would be a short run of lower rates and no job growth. That's the risk." The NorthMarq chief, how- ever, noted that financing is be- .ing extended to more property owners now • "Financing for apartments, for example, is broadly avail- able now," he said. "The same is true for grocery -anchored neighborhood retail centers and medical offices. If you're not overleveraged, you should be able to refinance now" The ultimate problem for commercial real estate, how- ever, is not the cost of financ- ing but the still -falling value of properties: David Rasmussen, a senior vice president of •Grandlbridge Real Estate Capi- ' tal'ih Minneapolis, is skeptical that the Fed's move is capable of helping much. "We have some of the cheapest money available, but the problem is what is the value of commercial real es- tate?" he said. "We have a half - trillion dollars in loans com- ing due over the next couple of years, and lots of them are underwater. As those come back for workouts or foreclo- sures, that's going to impact the value of commercial re - notable transactions 4960 COUNTY ROAD 10, CHASKA Price: $3,800,000 Filing date: 7/13/2010 Seller: Cornelius Enterprises LLLP Buyer: West Creek Corporate Cen- ter LLP Property ID: 300311100 24 S. MAIN ST., ST. MICHAEL Price: $1,200,000 Filing date: 9/14/2010 Seller. Revocable Loftman Family Trust Buyer. NLD Holdings IX LLC Property ID:114010001030 1502 S. 15TH ST., PRINCETON Price: $1,100,000 Filing date: 8/25/2010 Seller. Glenn Revocable Trust Buyer. Glenn Properties LLC Property ID: 904010435 small business calendar TUESDAY, NOV. 23 SCORE small-business consultations. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Minneapolis Cen- tral Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. Free. Call 952-847-8000. Sponsors: Hennepin Coun- ty Library and SCORE. Bring your small- business idea/problem, and experienced SCORE. counselors (retired members of the business community) will offer free, one-on-one confidential counseling on at aspects of small-business start-up and management. Small-business consultation with Legal - Corps. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Minneapo- lis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. Free. Call 952-847-8000. Sponsors: Hennepin County Library and LegalCorps. Confi- dential advice from volunteer attorneys. Small-business assistance consultation from the city of Minneapolis. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. Free. Call 952-847-8000. Sponsors: Hennepin County Library and Minneap- olis Community Planning and Econom- is Development. The city offers a wide range of resources and services: work- force, employment and training tools; business finance loans; business expan- sion; site -search assistance and Minne- apolis development review. When submitting items for this calen- dar, include title, time, date, location, fee, sponsor, contact phone number and description. E-mail to SmallBiz@startribune.com. Chrysler takes a patient approach to comeback By GREG.GARDNER Detroit Free Press SAN FRANCISCO — General Both GM and Chrys- ler,, which took quick trips, through government -backed bankruptcies last year, may D10 - BUSINESS • STAR TRIBUNE • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 Restaurant Technologies finds gold in grease ST. ANTHONY FROM D1 headquarters and operations center in Mendota Heights in December. The company, which services about 17,000 res- taurants and institutional kitch- ens nationally, has built a dy- namic growth business around tackling one of the most danger- ous jobs in restaurant kitchens: handling cooking oiL Rather than pouring oil in- to fryers from 35-pound plastic containers and dumping tubs of dirty, hot oil into dumpsters, RTI has completely automated the oil -handling process. RTI invests more than $8,000 to in- stall a couple of 1,400-gallon oil containers. One is for fresh oil and the other for the dirty stuff. An integrated system of hoses, electronics and pumps allows the cooks to drain dirty oil and replenish the fryers with fresh. RTI throws in a $1,500 filtra- tion system for the fryers that extends the life of the oil. 'Cool, green, hip' RTI technicians service the system, adding or removing oil from portals outside the restaurant when their trucks are summoned by sensors that trigger a call when oil needs to be added or removed. "For a restaurant my size, the RTI system may be more expensive," said Joe Kaplan, owner of single -location Joe's Garage on Loring Park, an RTI customer for about five years. "But you're not carrying hot grease across the kitchen. The oil is stored in tanks instead of lining two or three kitchen shelves with 35-pound plastic bottles in boxes. It makes for a safer, cleaner kitchen. There's a little wand, like a gas pump, that you can use to 'top off' or when oil is needed on the grill, such as potato pancakes in the pan. It's also very cool, green and hip." Kaplan said RTI "teaches you how to be more efficient, get longevity out of your oil, and they offer different oils." Kaplan estimates that he spends about $800 per month for oil and $140 monthly to rent RTI-owned equipment. The average RTI-serviced restaurant spends $10,000 to $15,000 a year for an RTI sys- tem and oil. Oil -related costs usually amount to up to 3 per- cent of a restaurant's food costs. RTI's competition in- cludes food -service compa- nies such as Sysco and ren- dering plants, or other oil re- cyclers. Kiesel said he can prove to customers that his system is more economical because it cuts kitchen labor and clean- ing, and sometimes workers' compensation insurance costs. The average restaurant wastes some oil, usually by leaving up to 3 percent in the bottle or spilling, Kiesel said. How does he know that? "We've proven that by dumpster diving," said Kiesel. "Our sales -and -service guys teach them how to handle oil better. They'll save 5 to 20 per- cent of what would be their oil cost. And it's just cleaner and safer." RTI started in 1998 as a unit of Minnesota Valley En- gineering (MVE), a man- ufacturer of bulk contain- ers and handling equipment for everything from liquid gases for industrial purpos- es to carbon dioxide and Co- ca Cola syrup for restaurants. RTI founder Paul Plooster, a former MVE executive, deter- mined that restaurants han- dled five times more cooking oil than they did carbon diox- ide and Coke syrup. Plooster decided that RTI should own, install and ser- vice the equipment on its own dime. In return, restaurant owners would sign long-term contracts to buy fresh cooking oil from RTI at a price that justi- fied the company's investment. It also was a cash -hungry, capi- tal -intensive approach. Shareholder suit RTI was spun out of MVE in 1999, and capital was raised from management and more than 200 individual investors. Annual revenue shot from $3.9 million in 1999 to $100 million in 2005, the year Kie- sel was hired by the majority, institutional investors to suc- ceed Plooster. Kiesel, 49, has hired man- agement from GE, Deluxe and Honeywell. The two private equity firms that own most of the private- ly held company have hired Chicago investment banker William Blair & Co. to start prospecting for buyers, pend- ing final approval as early as next week of a $5.5 million set- tlement in favor of original and minority shareholders who charged that they were short- ed during a 2009 recapitaliza- tion of the company. The preliminary settlement in the class-action lawsuit, which involved 260 individu- al shareholders who invested early in the company's 12-year life, was reached in October. It requires RTI's majority own- ers to compensate the former shareholders and may include additional payments when the company is sold. RTI is a full -service shop where workers take contain- ers and assemble them with electronics and tubing, repair equipment and provide sales and service from 36 depots around the country. About 80 work at headquarters and op- erations in the Twin Cities. Earlier this year, RTI en- tered into a long-term con- tract to sell most of the near- ly 150 million pounds of used cooking oil it collects, or "yel- low grease" as it is known in the trade, to Iowa -based Re- newable Energy Group, one of the nation's largest refiners of biodiesel fuel from waste oils and other feedstocks. That re- sults in about a $30 million an- nual revenue stream to RTI, depending upon waste oil Jimmy Micek of Restaurant Technologies removed waste oil from a McDonald's in Eagan. RTJ trucks are summoned by sensors that trigger a call when oil needs to be added or removed. GLEN STUBBE Star Tribune prices that have ranged from ll cents to 40 cents over the past three years. Institutional kitchens gen- erate hundreds of billions of pounds of yellow grease an- nually. "We thrive on innovation, service and long-term con- tracts," Kiesel said. "Our cus- tomer retention rate is [about] 98 percent. The ones who leave are mostly going out of business. "Our plan is to operate the company as well as we can and grow it. Our management group has the ability to run a $1 billion company within eight years. We hope the sale results in a new owner with the capi- tal to help get us there." Neal St. Anthony • 612-673-7144 • nstanthony@startribune.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2.010 STAR TRIBUNE • K3 wake up and dream A'flat-screen TV.'A few pieces ofleather furniture. Swanky new clothes: How cool would all that be? Spend some time dreaming about all the things you'd like to buy. 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The buying power of the city's residential areas and the popularity of its retail areas also make Eagan a strong draw for restaurants, he said. The owners of Jake's City Grille, a new restaurant opening this month, seem to agree. Jake's will open in the former location of Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company, located in the Eagan Promenade shopping area. "This is a fantastic location. It's a high -traffic area, and the people in Eagan fit the demo - Photos by Rick Orndorf Above: One of two new res- taurants opening in Eagan. Right: McDonald's in Cedar Grove gets a facelift. graphics we're looking for," said Rick Guntzel, director of operations for the restaurant. It will be the first restaurant in Eagan to have an outdoor bar complete with two gas fireplac- es, he said. The restaurant is owned by brothers Rob and Tony Jacob, who also founded the one -of -a - kind restaurant Nye's Polonaise Room in Minneapolis. Scheduled to open on Aug. 22, the original restaurant will See Restaurants, 5A ¥&? %r\WHAAT`IWE'/PA11� $jTr,A\ • /ME!/ Las Vega Orlando San Dieg San Franci Reno EE US WITH OUR TOPS luee4 &/V/2-255--- Restaurants/from lA combine elements from two of the Jacob brothers' other res- taurants, Epic in Eden Prairie and Jake's Sports Cafe, which has four metro area locations. Jake's City Grille will be less upscale than Epic, and Tess sports -focused than Jake's Sports Cafe, Guntzel said. "It will be a beautiful res- taurant, very comfortable, but our prices will be very com- petitive," he said. "We're very much a casual restaurant." Another restaurant looking to make its mark on the Ea- gan dining scene, Granite City Food and Brewery, will be the city' first brewpub. The city had to change its wine, beer and liquor ordi- nance to allow brewpubs to operate in Eagan, Hohenstein said. "Besides brewing their own beer on . site, they also bottle certain amounts and sell them," he said, which means' the bottles can be purchased for consumption off site. The state approved such sales by brewpubs in 2003, but the bottles must meet certain requirements., like bearing the name and address of the brew - pub. Granite City was founded in St. Cloud and has restaurants throughout the upper Midwest. The Eagan restaurant, the third in the state, will be located in the former Sidney's restaurant on Yankee Doodle and Pilot Knob roads. "We're very excited about that location," said Tim Cary, Granite City's 'chief operating officer of restaurant opera- tions. Cary said the company had been looking to enter the south - metro market for the past two years and found several great communities with good com- mercial areas and demograph- ics. "But everybody was kind of enamored with, the Eagan mar- ket," he said. "There seemed to be• a real good fit for our prod- uct in Eagan." Granite City Food and Brewery is scheduled to open Sept. 20. • In addition to the two new restaurants, McDonald's in Cedar Grove is getting a com- plete makeover to better fit in with its revitalized surround- ings, Hohenstein said. The original building was torn down to make way for a new prototype that will be used d around. the country, he said. "It's a new style for Mc - Donald's nationally that better compliments the new urban design framework that. many cities are using," he said. The new structure will ar- chitecturally complement the new design of the Cedar Grove area, he said, with ample use of brickand, glass. It will also be built to face Silver Bell Road rather than back up to it like the previous building. The two new restaurants and more attractive, more ac- cessible fast-food standard ,will just add to Eagan diners' menu of choices. "We're pretty excited about having some more opportuni- ties out there," Hohenstein said. Erin Johnson . is at . eagan. thisweek@ecm-inc.com. vA CAC seeks : volunteer photographer Community Action Council CAC services and events to be time with flexible scheduling (CAC) is seeking the time and used in publications and pro- during the year. talent of a volunteer photogra- motional materials throughout For more information, con- pher. the year. • tact Jeanne Nordstrom at (952) Photos are needed of various Estimate four to 10 hours of 985-4020. Thisweek/from 1A In addition to the core news coverage, Thisweek Savage and 'Thisweek Prior Lake will cover sports, arts, entertainment, busi- ness, community events, state government and much more. Coming soon to Thisweek 4 Newspapers' Web site (www. thisweek-online.com) will be individual Web pages for Prior Lake and Savage. There also' •will be links to community Web sites of interest. ECM, which will operate 19 newspapers and seven shoppers after the expansion, also oper- ates commercial printing and distribution divisions. Readers who have story suggestions or questions may reach Tad Johnson, managing editor, at (952) 846-2033, edi- tor.thisweek@ecm-inc.com or stop by the Burnsville office at 12190 County Road 11. Incumbents/from 1A summer school after their class graduated used to receive their diplomas but no fanfare. Now those students are officially rec- ognized at School Board meet- ings. "It's fun to see those kids were on the edge stick to it find other ways to be active and involved, just not on the School Board." Nikolai can think of a number of highlights over the course of his many terms, but the district's transformation from 'financial dire straits to fiscal health is one of the biggest; he said. "When I first came on the board in 1989, the district had real financial issue's," he said. "The board did a great job. We went from a position of statu- tory operating debt to a situa- tion where we've got as healthy a fund balance as we ever had." mathematics," he said. "We've kind of lost the'edge we had in that area, and we haven't done enough in my view to bolster the kids that aren't doing as well as they could" Nikolai said he will likely keep in touch with board mem- bers on issues that he is con- cerned about. "I've never been reluctant to share my opinion, why should that stop now?" he said, laugh- ing. Tami Bakeberg; who served on the board for almost six years, did not return phone calls. Apple Valley/Rosemount, Eag Dining & Entertainme Spotlight Dining Spotlight on Al Baker's in Eagan Staff Report E'er �L» cu Minnes a Sun Publications t-kt — ( iV jLs SC/R,.V\Ne At Al Baker's Restaurant and Saloon in Eagan, you get the best of both worlds. Owner Al Baker believes he can match the food and libations offered by the nationally known chain outlets that have sprung up around him. But they can't match the friendly neighborhood atmosphere he offers his patrons. "There are three things I learned a long time ago," Baker said. "You've got to offer a quality setting, quality food and quality atmosphere. "Those are the basics." Baker relishes his role as David facing the corporate Goliaths surrounding him. "People lean toward supporting the independent guy, but they're not going to come to you just because you're inde- pendent," he said. Baker takes his fun seriously. "My role in life is to help you have fun," he said. "When you come here, I want you to enjoy yourself." Baker and his restaurant, located just off Interstate 35E at the intersection of Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road, are in the midst of an extensive series of improvement projects. The interior has been remodeled to make the dining area more open and airy. Big -screen television sets have been added and more are on the way. But the crown jewel of the improve- ments at Al Baker's is a new outdoor patio dining area that seats about 80 patrons. It opened about seven weeks ago. "I hesitated at first because of the weather," Baker said of his decision to add the patio. "How many months of the year are we going to be able to use it? "But people like to dine out- side. We did it to keep up with what the public wants. And just to make the place more modern. "We're really proud of it. It's really nice out there. Everybody likes it." Menu specials offered right now are designed especially for patio dining, Baker said. The choices include baby back ribs, chicken breast and top sirloin steak. All menu items are available on the patio, and parties of up to 20 people can be accommodated there. Next on Baker's agenda is a remod- eling project for his building's exterior, which he says should give it a whole new look. Raised columns at each end of the building and in its center will give it a striking appearance, he pre- dicts. A canopy will cover the building's main entrance. His plan got a green light from the Eagan City Council recently and Baker expects work on it to begin within days. It should take several weeks to com- plete. The restaurant will remain open during the project. Despite all the changes, Baker says he keeps in mind that it's the personal connections with patrons that keeps him ahead of the competition. "The rapport between our employees and the customers is better. There's a personal feeling. That's one thing we're able to do, maintain a better relation- ship with our guests." The new patio dining area at Al Baker's Restaurant and Saloon, 3434 Washington Drive, Eagan, is one of several improvements undertaken at the restaurant and bar lately. Baker's offers a diverse menu, with every item available for take-out. For dinner, there are pasta special- ties ranging from fettucini Alfredo to bow tie pasta prima with chicken, and entrees such as top sirloin steak, broiled walleye and fried gulf shrimp. Mexican items are popular, too. Baker's menu also includes several "healthy choices," such as a vegetable stir fry and a turkey burger, that are low in fat and easy on the calories. Baker again this year will send buses from the restaurant to all the Vikings' and Gophers' home games. Season passes are available; Baker advises they'll be snapped up quickly. Baker's is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Food is served until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until midnight Friday and Saturday, and until 10:30 p.m. Sunday. t/Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998 otorcoach.Transportation, lay, Tickets And More! •SEZVKES ose From Lasting 10-16 Days: from $2,999*= 000 and/or.Oktoberfest extensions a (12 days) from $3,299* - from $3,999* your reservations today! 17e omfar y and ircadas ai horn Chimgo-a NY(JFK). +are sidled to charge wdho 1 nolim Rasta:liac may apply -- EAGAN 3344 . Promenade Ave., Suite 104 688-3500 0 a.m.-530 p.m. Sat. 9:00 a.m.-Noon. I Reservations - (800)677-2227 tg7 7;a#r Istrorn,-Terry Michaelsen, Dan & his )wing Winners) & Gary Michaelsen ionals of the Dahlstrom; Results iu findthe home of. your.•dreams. 0/- 4io/`M a tio/r lC)eft %aar District 191adjusts private vehicle policy . By Barnett. - ' •Minnesota Sun Publications A new policy prohibits students: from being transported to District 191 activi- ties in privately -owned vehicles unless certain restrictions are met. . The policy was approved Aug. 20 "by the District 191 Board of Education and follows state.law on the issue. The policy -impacts school field trips and other off - site -events for which the district supplies, transportation. 1. - Traditionally teachers and 'staff have used their, owri vehicles, rather than a • schoolbus, to take students to events in which a small number'are participating. Such arrangements had to be approved by the driver, the principal and the parents. • "Doing so is still going to be a possibil-, ity but .certain standards: will have to be met -"said -Superintendent Benjamin Karininen of the new policy. State law, and now District 191 policy, requires that vehicles in which students - may ride,' must undergo an annual in- - spection by the State Patrol. The vehicles alsomust carry . -safety, equipment, in- cluding flares, first,.aid kits and fire ex- • tinguishers: The restriction is waived in • • the case of an emergency. Principals and administrators don't anticipate a problem withthe new policy, with the exception of special education" programs and Cedar Alternative Center, said Business Manager:Carter Christie. , On occasion, special education students who are unable to ride a regular -bus have - been driven to events by a teacher. -.Stu- dents at Cedar Alternative Center often provide their- own transportation to off= 'site activities, Christie said. _ - -. "It's' an infrequent occurrence," Christie said. The policy would not -affect trips to • athletic team -practices ,like .hockey, where students drive themselves to `arenas away from school grounds, Christie said. In other District 191 business: • • The• board approved 'a change in health insurance- carriers to _save money. The: new carrier • is Blue-Cross/Blue Shield with annual premiums of $6.27 million. The ..premiums for Medica, the' district's previous insurer, -were estimat- • ed at $6.79 million. The Blue Cross%Blue • Shield policy is provided through the .'South Central Cooperative Service. Unit in Mankato. Police commend citizen Eagan Police presented former Eagan resident Stephanie Smith with the department's -Outstanding Citizen's Commendation for. her efforts ihsaving a boy from drowning on. May.18. File Photo \*I.,:(ICK OFF :Pre.season.Furnace $ale!. on Heil 92% efficient gas furnace , 10 yearparts and labor warranty on 92% efficient during pre -season sale on Atiamelh" HEATING & COOLING PRODUCTS ' DAN WOHLERS) FREE ESTIMATES 90 days gout u Clos tAir pCo ditto ners inancing to qualified buyers 14732 Pennock Ave. 61 2`431-7099 Sidney housing proposed If approved, a restaurant and senior housing would replace former Eagan Athletic Club. By Sue Hegarty Minnesota Sun Publications A plan to replace the Eagan Athletic Club site with a Sid- ney's restaurant and a,four-story . senior living complex gained the unanimous approval of the city's Advisory Planning Commission . . (APC) on Oct: 28. The issue will appear before the City Council for approval on Nov. 18. Chaska -based John B. Good- man Ltd. Partnership proposes to demolish the athletic club at 3330 Pilot Knob Road, which closed July 31, and divide the property into two lots: As proposed,. Sidney's would be on the westerly lot bordering -,:Pilot-Knob Road and would 'in- : eludepatio dining and on -sale•- liquor: -:The- developer,, described. Sidney's; as, a',health-oriented, fine -dining restaurant that uses fresh ingredients for its -interna- tional cuisine dishes. The senior living building. ould occupy the east lot closer to Interstate 35E, just north of - Yankee Doodle Road. The center,.. of the property would beused as a storm :water -pond. Access is , available from: Marice Drive. Project -Manager.: John '.Bunkers .said the Goodman Group has built more than 2,700 .assisted living and skilled nurs-' ing units throughout several. - states: The proposed senior liv- ing building includes- 90 rooms for congregate living and 61. rooms for assisted care: Congre- gate living -:is for -persons who are semi-independent but may. share meals, linen service and some transportation. Assisted -- \ : '- CLUB: To Page 19A.. • Direct en irep aces • Manual Operation during power outages • Furnace &'Air Conditionir Replacement-& Installatior Professional -Install, CaII today, for a fl Bell -Air Heatin LookWhc New In Th Neighbor) Maly Wahl, MID:, looks foi you -and discussing your medica Fairview Ridges Clinic in Burn Our physicians provide expertis internal medicine, obstetrics, gy and surgery. ' We accept most health plans. MP EP MP 1000000. • 'DAKOTA COUN • • dtee • Register for a one quarter TUITION FREE SCHOLARSHIP at College' -Information Night! ..• MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN' COLLEGE Tuesday, '/€eer in Room 1-306 for a bi Ezfiloze your particular ?/Ceit with staff to learn more abo Child Care Services, Finari foiaa us in the commons for refrf EM Dakota Count Technical College diliMMI111.111.111 r___-___-M_.A 14- A...HA4:t tl • .I Club: EAC to be demolished From Page 1A care includes these same services but also provides daily living help such as personal care and housekeeping services. The average age of residents is .80 in sim- ilar housing communities owned by the Goodman Group. The site is' within an area that re- quires specified noise attenuation due to its proximity to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. "We'll just have to have tighter win- dows. The walls and roof are already to standard," Bunkers said. If approved, this would be the fifth se- nior housing project to come to Eagan. Planning Commission Chair Carla Heyl said this type of senior housing is a "middleground" between 24-hour care facilities and those who don't want to live totally on their own anymore. Clare Bridge, a proposed assisted liv- ing facility for those with Alzheimer's dis- ease, will break ground for its new facili- ty Nov. 6 at 1365 Crestridge Lane in Eagan. • - The Dakota County Housing and Re- development Authority broke ground Oct. 13 for a new senior housing center that will include 65 rental units. Current senior housing developments include another HRA complex on Cliff Road and a private development at Lone Oak and Pilot Knob roads. Bunkers said the senior housing com- plex and. the restaurant could create up to 164 new jobs in Eagan. • MMENNIImimmiri NDAR Road, Savage. Information: 895-1667 or 953- 3131. - Representative of South Dakota State Uni- versity to visit, 8-8:45 a.m. at Burnsville High School, and 9:30-10:15 a.m. at Apple Valley High School. Information: 605-688-6161. Saturday Clubs Sons of Norway, 7:30 p.m., Lakeville Senior. Center, 20732 Holt Ave., Lakeville. Information: 683-0519. . . Library ,. Southside Writers, workgroup for inspiring writers, offering critique, submission and manu- _scriptpreparation information, support and di- 452-1796. Tnastmastprs_ Eagan Tuesday Clubs . . American Sewing Guild, 6:45 p.m., Valley Middle School, 900 Garden View Drive, Apple Valley. Information: 423-3374 (Elaine) or 688- 6388 (Robin). • Lions -Eagan, 6 p.m , Lost Spur country club, 2750 Highway 13, Eagan. Information: 454-7464. Minnesota Entrepreneur's Club, 7:30-9 a.m., Byerly's restaurant, County Road 42 and Portland Avenue, Burnsville. Information: 432- 6489 or 897-7399. Minnesota Valley of Mothers of Multiples, 7. p.m., Faith Covenant Church, 12921 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville. Information: 794-3376. • Rosemount Snotoppers, 8 p.m.,.American Legion, 14590 Burma, Rosemount. Information: business New pati�.givesAl Baker's customers ataste o 1 - lrc2L �REN By DA HAUGEN I you'd like,.to go out to get a bite to eat or a refreshing - drink, yet you don't want to miss the warmth of the after; noon sun or the gentle breezes • of our precious summer eve- nings, Al Baker's in Eagan has you covered. Or perhaps uncovered is a better way to put• it. The Eagan restaurant, found at 3434 Washington Drive just off of Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle roads, boasts a new patio south and west of the building, just off the dining room. The patio, which seats about 80' people, "is pretty good size," said- the restaurant's owner, Al- Baker. The outdoor gathering place has been open - . about six weeks. _ • "Particularly in the eve- nings," Baker said, "it's beau- tiful." Baker said in the past he's been reluctant to add a patio because of the expense and the short season that allows its use. But several new - restaurants springing up in the area are includingthem in their de- signs, and Baker hopes his new addition will' also attract new customers as well as be en- joyed by .those who stop by the THE NEW patio, which is part of the first phase of work at Al Baker's, has been a hit with customers. Photo by Rick Orndorf restaurant on a more regular basis. Baker wanted to"do the patio right." He and his wife visited 14 different patios be- fore designing their own. • • At Al Baker's, . sturdy tables are covered with beautiful um- brellas. The patio floor is a concrete deck stamped -with a design that makes it look like granite, Baker said. -The• red dish -brown color found on. the floor is accented by a heavy wrought iron *railing that sur- rounds the patio. Large col- umns and lights round out the design. The architect designing the patio made sure it can be cov- ered with a -permanent or re- tractable roof as a future possi- bility, Baker said... "It's pretty first class," he said. "The patio's turned out to be a real success for us." Customers who would like to sit on the patio still enter through the main door, where a' host' will ask their preference for indoors or outdoors, Baker said. The restaurant's full menu' is available on the patio. "Anything• in the building, they can get outside, too," Baker said. Seating outside can accom- modate. 'parties of one • or two . all the way to large gatherings of 20 or more. While reserva- tions are taken for the patio for parties, Baker said he tries to be careful about taking them reservations too far•in advance because of the unpredictability - of the weather: The new patio is just the first phase of Baker's .plans for his business. Some interior walls have been taken' out, he said, and beginning Aug. 17, he plans to redo the outside. The idea is to take the building,' •constructed 'in 1980, and bring it into the' year 2000, Baker said. .- - Al Baker's is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to mid- night Sunday. The patio is open those same hours. • religion Revival services Dr. Rick Ingle; a former teen- age gang leader in the Phila- delphia ghettos who became a -full-time evangelist, will speak at revivaltrservices Aug. 16-19 .at Crystal Lake Road Baptist Church, at Buck Hill and Crys- tal Lake roads in Burnsville. Services are 'at 10:45 a.m. Sunday and nightly at 7. Ingle has conducted more than 1,100 revivals and cru- sades worldwide. His - 1973 conversion ,story, "From a Ghetto Gang Leader to the Pulpit," has been broadcast on radio stations worldwide. He has doctor of divinity and doc- tor of literature degrees and has written six books. Nursery will be provided. No offering will be taken. For -more information, call 435- 7553. Parents' day out Children's Praise `N Rain- bows, a parents' -day -out pro- gram in its fifth year, is being offered Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p•m• It is designed for stay-at- home parents . who need a break, and is held at Praise Garage sale Christus Victor Lutheran Church will hold the "Hallelujah: Isn't It An Awe- some" Garage Sale Aug. 14, 4 to .8 p.m., and Aug. 15, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at 7510 Palomino Drive in Apple Val- ley. - There will be a variety of bargains including an- tiques/collectibles, automo- biles, clothes, comput-. ers/electronics, - furniture, household items, tools, toys and sporting goods. A coffee shop, concessions and a bake sale will; also -be available. Ten percent of .the proceeds will .go to the Chil- dren's Home Crisis Nursery. Bible school Vacation Bible school . for children ages 3-12, with daily . Bible lessons, memory work, singing, games, stories, skills, awards and refreshments, will be held Aug..16-20 at Eden Baptist church, 12540 - Glen- hurst Ave., Savage. For more information,. call 890-5856. Retirement A retirement reception for astor •Merle Lebahn will be eld from 2 to 5- p.m. Aug. 30 Christ Lutheran Church in • Winners ,of poster contest are announced Dakota 'County • Attorney James- Backstrom sponsored the awards ceremony for the 1998 Dakota County Attorney Anti-Drug/Violence Poster Contest May 20 at the Western Service Center in Apple Val- ley. The contest was open to fifth-.. and sixth -grade DARE students; attending public and private schools throughout Dakota County. The contest allows students to make their own positive statement in. opposi= tion to drug abuse 'and vio- lence. A panel of judges selected 12 winning posters based on origi- nality, effectiveness in present- ing an anti-drug/violence mes= sage, and artwork. This year's contest winners are: - •_Jeremiah Avery (first place), Diamond Path -Elementary, Apple Valley; Weston Zarecky (second), JFK Elementary, .Lakeville; Nick Benson (third), Lake Marion Elemen- tary, Lakeville', Allison Arling (fourth), Lake Marion Elemen- tary, Lakeville; Stephen Fo- ertsch (fifth), Woodland Ele- mentary, Eagan; Jacob Mundy (sixth), All Saints Elementary, Lakeville; Andy Lepley (seventh), Northview Elemen- tary, Eagan; Bethanie Novak (eighth),• Lakeview Elemen- .tary, . Lakeville;_ • Kevin Safranek "(ninth), Alf Saints Elementary, Lakeville; Kaitlin ,Demuth (loth), JFK ..Elemen- tary, Lakeville; .Jeff Carpenter speaker at the. ceremony. and was accompanied by her po- lice dog "Kufkey." Eilers and Kufkey put on a demonstration for the audience showing how Kufkey can locate drugs. Each winning poster will be reproducedonone month of the 1999 calendar-. The calen- dar will be distributed free of charge to all participants and schools in Dakota County and to as many students as posi- ble. The calendar will also be distributed later this fall to other public agencies and non- profit organizations_involved in ,drug prosecution, drug en- forcement and other aspects of the criminal justice system: DON'T "WRECK" YOUR WHOLE WEEK .:. TUNE IN TO ... 411g Ty15!: WE HAVE DYNAMITE. LOCAL PROGRAMMING FROM DEMOLITION DERBIES TO ORCHESTRAS .- Clip Out the Schedule Below For Program Information rrr rrr rrr rrr 0 o- - Eagan location SIDNEY'S EAGAN general manager Mike Hertle and Mayor Tom Egan wield the giant silver scissors to cut the ribbon, celebrating the opening of Sidney's in Eagan. Joining the festivities are members of the Northern Dakota County Chambers of Commerce. The 7,700 square -foot restaurant is located near the intersection of Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle roads. j�c S — it �yT ,--A , , A .e . 1 ction. ierd cross,- is the first fea- ust. He is friendly, active, An obedient dog; •Deek. 'd shake. "For more infor- ny of the other animals !ley Humane Society, call' t www.mnvalley.pair.com. as many healthy and non - as it has space, for. Photo Steak fry • The Rosemount High School Football Booster Club , will hold a steak fry Aug.:9-3 to 7 p.m., at the Rosemount Com- munity Center. • Price -will be $6 for a steak dinner and $4 for a hamburger meal. A mandatory meeting for football players and parents will follow the steak fry. Share and Care . The American Cancer Soci- ety and South Suburban Medi- cal Center invite all persons with cancer or other chronic diseases and their families to .attend the next "Share and Care" support group meeting. This meeting will be Mon- day, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at South Suburban Medical Cen- ter in Farmington- at: Highway 3 _ and County Road 50. This group meets on the third Monday evening of each month. For more information, call Education at 651-460-1149. Kidsong and . Company • Free pie, yo-yo performers from Hawaii and free face Painting will set the stage ,for • featured act - Kidsong and a . Company ' during the last Wednesday in the Park .free concert Aug. 12 at Burnsville's • Civic : Center ^Park (Nicollet, Avenue South between 13oth and 134th streets). • Face painting, pie -tasting courtesy of Bakers Square Res- taurants anu an .exhibition by Team High Performance of Yhomega, Yo Yo will begin 'at Dining Spodig �t Apple Valley/Rosemount, Al Baker's in Eagan offers versatility C� CQ rv%.4- Story by Renee Berg, 1 _-2_,P-s. Photo by David Eyestone vS j & — 1(9-5+6,;.-(--1"›. G 6 ou can feel com- fortable coming .here in a three- . piece suit or a pair of jeans." That's how Donna Baker describes her family's restau-. rant, Al Baker's, in Eagan. On any given day or night, you'll find business types bantering over a meal and families enjoy- ing food they didn't have to prepare. The twenties crowd is also there, spread out in the sports bar and the restaurant. Al and Donna Baker.opened. AI ;Baker's Restaurant & Saloon at. the intersection of Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle'roads in Eagan 12 years ago. • The Bakers have changed their menu slightly over the years, but burgers, sandwiches, pasta and steak can always be found. The baby -back ribs, "melt in your mouth," Donna said, and,the chil- dren's menu is a plus for families. Al can be seen working the crowd on a variety of nights, and the. Bakers also employ their two daughters, son and son-in-law. "So we are truly a, family - owned business," Al said. ' • : . Employees have become -difficult te4ind through the years and competition with kr.,nrrit, firrrr blot flit think we're part of their community," Al said. The Bakers have updated the restaurant according to the times, recently imple- menting,a new computer system. They will also -model in 1998, bringing the sports bar atmosphere into the restau- rant. • - "This thing's like owning a dairy — it's albvays here," Al said. "We don't plan of going anyplace. We plan to continue to be.a viable restaurant south of the river: • Along with running the place, AI is also versed in restaurant -speak, which is why he also refers to Interstate35 as "the river." Al Baker's is just west of 35E. The Bakers offer lunch and dinner spe- cials and the Sunday•buffet, served from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is also popular. Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 c)v-' Ynop „ „ „ , 11,11 I II P LINDQUIST (Sr, ASSOCIATES, LTD. ADVERTISING • SPECIAL EVENTS • PUBLIC RELATIONS MEMO TO: Liz Witt FROM: Pat Lindquist DATE: February 18, 1997 SUBJECT: Thank You! Thank you so much for lending us your antique potato planter for display during the kick-off dinner for the Golden Anniversary Salute at Jensen's Supper Club earlier this month. Sorry you missed the dinner. It was the highlight of the display table! And since our restaurant was built on the site of a potato farm, nothing could have been more appropriate. I trust John Oyanagi returned it to you safe and sound. (See herewith.) Kudos to you and all of Eagan for your support of Friends of the Farm. What a wonderful opportunity it provides for families to learn more about both agriculture and the historical roots of the area. We're pleased to be involved in the community and join you in supporting this worthwhile organization. We hope we can get a potato patch started too. Thanks again for your help and your support. We hope you'll join us again for dinner sometime soon at Jensen's Supper Club. Remember, any $19.47 dinner during February brings back $5 to the group. 2101 57TH AVENUE NORTH • MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55430 • (612) 560-1924 • FAX (612) 560-2408 Business, Vogy's owner "Stormin Norman" does it all �vs n,es.) by David Siegel management wouldn't allow him past Norman Vogelpohl's nickname • . , the first stage into the burlesque area, "Stormin"Norman" is well deserved. he joked. At age 69, he puts in 16-hour days He began playing in bands in the' at_his new Eagan restaurant, Vogy's, New Ulm area, generally German in Yankee Square. Vogelpohl - polka music. He was a founding conceived the idea for the restaurant, designed it, built it, and even did the interior. decorating. . fame. wanted a nice cozy atmosphere," he said. He used his imagination, and ' visited other restaurants and "stole with my eyes," he said with a grin. "That's. legal." T "I'm a do-it-yourselfer, dyed'in the- . wool, ". said Volgepohl. He even provides some of the musical entertainment at Vogy's. Last week, he played trumpet with Cheyenne, the country band performing Tuesday through Sunday. - Vogelpolil came from a musical: family of five boys and one girl in New Ulm. He taught himself to play a • coronet he bought in,a second-hand . store. He added trumpet, accordion • and guitar. , He played Hawaiian guitar in a. - "hoochie-koochie show" in a carnival for his debut, he said. He was 13; and Norman Volgelpohl, decorating at Vogy's. member of The Six Fat Dutchmen, a . polka band that went on to national He was drafted into World War II before the band became famous. He was assigned duty in an Army band and played military dances at the Santa Barbara Hotel where returning servicemen convalesced,`USO shows, and bond drives on the West Coast. "I wrote a few tunes, one that was our (the Army band) theme song," he said. He has played backup for Rita Hayworth, Bob Hope and Bing - Crosby. - "They were just regular people,"he said. Volgelpohl played with expert musicians and Hollywood stars, he said. "I like to perform —because I love to play music," he said. But he saw that even the most famous musicians "were as broke as I was. I wanted to make money. I was more inclined to 25A l 1-1 - 3 Norman Volgelpohl has played backup for. Bob Hopeand Bing Crosby in ad• • dition to a- successful career as a contractor. His most recent venture, Vogy's, is an 8,000 square foot restaurant at Yankee Square. be. rich rather than famous." - After the service, he came to Minneapolis and worked for Brown and Bigelow, a printing•company, for • nine years. He had been a printer's • apprentice in New Ulm. At the same time, he "dabbled in selling real estate." .• • On the weekends, he played with bands to make -extra money. "I was a ball.of energy," he said; explaining , that he worked from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. . : each day.: • ' After the war the real' estate - - b.usiness_was lucrative. Rather than .,only sell houses, Volgelpohl decided, "I might•aswell build these things' •;myself.,, "Ichired:an,old-,time; Swedish;.-, , the most demanding business thatI r ,carpenter 6,..t uild>a;house. he.said;- :-,::can,think• Photos by David Siegel who's nickname.is "Stormin Norman," did the interior In his younger years, playing at clubs, he saw many bar and restaurant owners with flashy clothing'and large cars. -Figuring they made a lot of money, "I thought some day I'd do tliat," he'said. So he opened a restaurant and found the linage of the big-time night club operators was mostly a:facade. "I found it wasn't that easy:", Volgelpohl's first restaurant, which ; he opened eight.years ago and later • sold, is now LaFonda's. He has owned four restaurants • Vogy's is The biggest and most . elaborate,., he said. He has 40 . employees working at•the restaurant. Running a restaurant i•"probably . and worked with him learning the His advice for success is —"Hard trade. "He knew his stuff and I was work', and above all, determination." very determined Jo learn. Finally I ' figured it all out and it was just as - .easy as figuring out dollars and cents." He built his first house in 1954 or -. '-1955'in south Minneapolis, sold it for . $11,700, making $5,000 profit. From there 'he moved into land development. At onetime, he owned 1,600 apartment units. He still, owns about 300-apartments and continues to build houses. He owns a 140-acre farm -in Eagan. "I'm scared to death to go into a lot of things," he said. "But I've got good instinct, I rely on my instinct." 26A T Photos by Kevin Gutknecht Play painting Scott Highlands Middle School students were busy preparing for their upcoming drama production "The Last Resort." More than 50 students are involved in the technical aspect of the show which has 152 cast members. The play is a comedy written by Fred Mackaman, a communications instructor at Scott Highlands. Performances are Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door. Top left, eighth - graders Scott Draheim and Nealon Thompson use paint -filled spray bottles to color scenery. Above, eighth -grader Brad Palm concentrated while painting a back drop. Lower left, Melissa Smith mixed some paint. The technical advisors are Jodene Hrudka Wartman and Jill Park, teachers at Scott Highlands. professional service directory •accountants•architects•attorneys•engineers • accountants RICHARD A. OLSON Certified Public Accountant it business account & taxes architects G. Turpening &Associates By MARK LARSON 'The cafe is quiet Friday night. ;A group of 20- somethitigs sit in a tight circle around one table while an es- tablished, middle-aged couple enjoys their cups of coffee at another. ' They listen to Mike Williams tell a story about his MGD Midget as he holds a green slide guitar! in his lap. At some point, the story turns into a song and Williams strums the blues, paying tribute to his be- loved roadster. Williams', performance was the first in an .eight -week .mu sic series• at Maggie's` Cafe Espresso in.Eagan'. Larry Lund- berg put; the series together,' bringing in a mix of blues, jazz and folk 'rock every Friday and Saturday inight. "We try to make the cafe a nice alternative to nightclubs," said Larry, who co -owns the cafe with his wife, Carol Lundberg. "It's quieter, not smoky."' Larry said he selected "middle ;of the road" music that wouldn't be too radical for . • his clientele, who mostly come' to the store to relax. Occasion- ally in the summer the Lund - bergs book alternative bands to play on the patio outside the cafe, which is located near a Eagan Cinema 9 on Town Cen tre Drive. "That really draws people in Just the noise alone attract people. from the theater," sai Larry. "It's a natural magnet." Ten different musical act have been scheduled for th months of March and April The performances usually las from 8 to 10 p.m. Mike Wil- liams, an Eagan resident who studied. under a Zydeco musi- cian in Minneapolis, said he plays a blend of blues and blues -influenced music. He will play again March 28. "Mostly I just play stuff 1 like," said Williams. Williams, who has also played at cafes in Minneapo- lis, holds his "real job" at Northwest Airlines, where he is a mechanic. The Lundbergs usually pay musicians a mod- est $25 to perform at Maggie's. "We find affordable music because we want to keep it free for the public, said Larry. In order to really concentrate on music programs, the Lund - bergs may be moving Maggie's cafe.,to a larger location, near where the cafe is now. "We've outgrown our space; we're kind of land -locked here," said Larry. "We'd like o put in a stage, a P.A. system nd a larger outdoor patio." The expanded cafe would rNNW ,,M11.4111.1111_,111; i = oittgage Rates Are Great!! • Purchase or Refinance Home Equity Loans up to 125% of Value Debt Consolidation, Home Improvement, or ?? No cost/Low cost programs — Quick approvals and closings Visit our homepage http://ounvorld.compuserve.com/homepages/castle mortgage CASTLEmnrirtggr CALL US TODAY 953-0181 s d s e • • LUNDBERGtalks with Maggie's Cafe Espresso in will host a music series held every • CAROL plays 'at enhance Maggie's annual "Espress Fest," a two-day trib- ute to local musicians held every summer, according to Larry. The Lundbergssaid. ,they 'fiav"e'' also`°considered ' building conference rooms into the floor plan of their new location. Friday and her husband, Larry, as local blues guitarist Mike Williams Eagan March 6. The Lundbergs, who own the cafe, Saturday night. Photo by Mark Larson "The coffee shop is a natural networking place," . said Larry. "It's also a good mix of peo- ple— a cross -generational en- vironment." Aside; from _;offering coffee from places as faraway' .'as New Guinea and Costa Rica, the Maggie's menu includes 'HARD WATER?' $ 95 LIMITED TIME OFFER! Softener Buhr or Relit �>uu:n.S:uuc:\:ca.�ti ('Ia"'In,tallatiun) baked goods, soups deli sand- wiches and desserts. "It's been a lot o' work,' but fun and entertain'ng," said Carol. "It's fun watching the ,expressions on 'people's` face's 'when:you make fancy drinks." The Lundbergs have found their mailing list of more than 2,000 patrons is constantly changing. As regular customers move away, Maggie's. still reaches them through "coffee -by mail," a mail-order service provided by the store. Maggie's can also he found on the In- ternet at www.maggies- coffee.com. Kes Fauinment _can between 7;a91-:7 pm FoL.D e& ..N bS Fo ‘..Dec SGINIS Eagan'. restaurant clears •.t Al Baker enters smoke -free -trial at his restaura while lobbying for statewide smoking restrictions by Dan Gearino Staff Writer Al Baker, owner of Al Baker's Restaurant in Eagan, sees a future where restaurants in Minnesota will _be_ smoke free. He is working toward that future by expanding smoke -free hours at his restaurant and -by lobbying -the state Legislature to consider more stringent indoor smoking restrictions. Bakeris not alone. On Aug. 1, an ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants went into effect in Moose Lake. A similar ordinance will take effect in Duluth at the end of the year. •In Crookston, no govern- ment intervention was needed as all local restaurants voluntar- _ ily went smoke free in January. During August, Al Baker's Restaurant is. smoke •free from opening to 2 p.m..in—both the • See Smoke, 1OA $375 PER / 1 st Payment s389 PER / 1 st Payment :It,. Only Mo • Only MSRP $31,175 ,., 26,999 28,295 Low APR in lieu of S500 of Rebate, Lease plus 1st pymt., lic. fee 8& DOC. Payment + tax. Tax on cash O.A.C. o'' 39 MO. LEASE SPECIAL $269 MD /$1 Soo PLUS- TCASH RADE $Zgg PER / Only 1st Payment MO Plus 1st payment, lic. fee & DOC. Payment + tax. Ta> TRUCKS - VANS - 4X4s - SPORT UTILITIES - SUMMEI 2000 DODGE DURANGOs SLT Rental Returns, V8 Power, auto., front Ez rear air, pwr. windows, locks & seat, tilt, cruise, rear seat. These are loaded! Best Price S26, 900 lour I'icl. 2000 PLY. VOYAGER Grand S.E. Rental Return. 3.3 V6, auto., front & rear air, PW, PL, 7 pass w/child seats tit sunscreen glass. 1999 DODGE DAKOTA WOW! Deep Amethyst'Club Cab Sport Pkg. 4x4, auto., air, tilt, cruise, 20xxx act., one owner. Best Price 51 8,800 One Price 1998 DODGE DAKOTA Sharp Deep Amethyst 4x2 Club Cab. V6, auto. w/air cond., tilt, cruise, alloy wheels. 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Flame Red, V8 SLT Sport Pkg., Quad Cab 4x4, auto., air, power windows, locks, tilt, cruise,one owner! Best Price S19,1300 One Price 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE 4 Dr. Country Limited 4x4, Red Buckskin Leather, Alloy wheels, auto., air, tilt, cruise, •wr. wdws., locks, seat. bust traded - Save! 1997 DODGE S.L.T. Club Cab 4X4. V8 air, tilt, cruise, PW, PL, ma topper. Load Best Price S 16, 2 1997 JEEP CH Driftwood Grand Laredo, auto., air, power windos cruise, Lease Return. , Smoke%Continued , indoor and outdoor dining areas Sunday through Friday. If this• trial is successful; Baker said he would like to expand smoke free hours. _`We would like to eventually be smoke.free day and night," he said. In the tirst couple days of the ..trial, Baker reported that' four, customers walked -out after real- izing they couldn't _light up, He said :that the small number of walkouts. confirms his feeling. that less than 5 percent of the restaurant's clientele will. •go .. elsewhere because. of the policy Baker said that. going smoke free in his' restaurant will not - only be great. for the health of employees and customers, but it will also boost the bottom line: , "I'm addressing what I feel. the public wants, he 'said; adding that he is confident that he will gain many more cus, tourers, as well• as attract a . broader range of employees. _ Baker, a nonsmoker, has plenty of experience dealing with,smokers from more than 3Q "years in :the bar •and' restaurant- • • . business, 15.of those years at -Al Baker's. He, said that maintairi= ing a smoking section. is a -."pain in the neck" and the restaurant: industry will be better off.•when' the smoking section is a thing of the -past. Sidne's' is the= only Eagan restaurant with a -liquor. license. :that is currently smoke free dur- ,ing, allhours of operation. :All other, smoke=free restaurants in town are fast food or casual din- ing chains. The liquor license distinction is 'important • because. most tar'ge"` sit-down restaurants derive a substantial portion of sales from liquor,: and liquor consumption_ is often associated with smok- ing. Sidney's is a locally owned chain :of: five restaurants that was founded in 1991 with the._ following' language in. its mis- .. sion statement: "For better :health, we offer a smoke free environment.' Abbe Shapiro, vice president of Sidney's, said that .being smoke free has been an essential part. of the company's' irrmage. . "Our • restaurant is • clean. -It smells good," Shapiro said. "The concentration 'is on ' the food."' Bar and; restaurant _owners _are represented by two.advoca- cy groups,in the Minnesota, -.the • Minnesota • Hospitality •`Association and the Minnesota Licensed Beverage,Association.. Baker said that he and restaurant owners from smoke -free areas. as well.as. areas that would• like to be smoke free 'are attempting. • • to' sway the consensus within these groups ' in. order to better _.lobby, the stater Legislature. Baker said that 'several state leg- islators are in . favor of more stringent restrictions, but :many more are lukewarm about :the idea: - Once a majority" of -legisla tors wanta smoke -free law, they must. take the difficult `iiext'step of writing specific rules, and. exemptions. Bakei' said. thatthe .smoke -free ordinance in Mesa. Ariz:, could' be _workable 'in _Minnesota. In Mesa, barsderiv- ing 50 percent of their gross rev- eniie from -alcohol, may allow smoking if the bar is physically separated from adjacent: nesses; restaurants may . only allow smoking 'in a clearly • marked, outdoor dining area; and private _ clubs may allow .smoking at events riot open..,to the general public.. Opponents of smoke -free ordinances often.: claim`.;that business' ;will be harmed. Advocates such as Baker_ believe. that e•xamples, in' cities such as:.Moose. Lake; - Duluth and Crookston will eventually •be`adequate evidence against thatclaim.; "People who l drink and. smoke want to- besocial " Baker said'• "They're not going to sit at 'home and drink and' smoke by Tthemselves. Eagan City Council candidates will •appear at public forum - • The seven candidates who have filed for the Eagan City Council primary election have been.invited to present their views at a public forum to be held Wednesday, Aug...16 at 7 p.m. at the Eagan Municipal Center. All candidates will make opening statements followed by audi- ence questions. The forum is sponsored by the Education Fund of the League of Women Voters of Northern Dakota County Area as a service to•vot- ers-prior to the Sept. 12 primary election. • The four winning candidates in the primary will appear on the . Nov. 7 general election ballot. Dakota County .declared .agricultural disaster area Last week, the Federal Emergency'Management Agency (FEMA) announced that Dakota County has been declared an agricultural dis- ,aster area in conjunction with the federal disaster declaration already in effect due to the July 8 and 9 storms. - • Dave Gisch, Dakota County Emergency Services director; said this means farmers in Dakota County whose crops were damaged during the July 8 and 9 storms will be eligible for low -interest feder- al loans for losses not covered by other.insurance. The deadline to apply for assistance is 60 days from the declaration.•Damage to trees or soil erosion.is not covered. , Anyone who wants to begin the applicationprocess.or get addi- . tional information should call the local office of the federal Farm Service Agency (FSA) at 651-463-8626. Agricultural experts estimate that in Dakota County, about.5 per- cent of 110,000 acres of feed grain cropswere damaged or destroyed; about 50 percent of the 10,000 acres of -fresh vegetable crops were - damaged or destroyed, and about 5 percent _of the 75,000 oil seed crops (such as soybeans) were damaged, according to Gisch: He said much of the reported damage occurred near Rosemount and in spots east of Farmington. The damage was caused by the same storms that flooded•public and private property in Eagan,. Burnsville and Apple Valley. Federal low -interest loan'.checks.have already started arriving in the hands of homeowners in those areas. Because Dakota County is the primary countynamed. in the dis- aster declaration, farmers in contiguous counties who sustained dam- age at the same time from the same cause are also eligible to file loan aoolications. Those counties are Goodhue, Sc�t� r 1. Now Availabl �\figg cooker / - Mic In hav FOOD SA COMPACT Plus a accessi Til RONCO SHOV ROTISSORIE "Set It anc We also car Food Del . • Ronco P; Eagan restaurant clears the, air Al Baker enters smoke -free trial at his restaurant while lobbying for statewide smoking restrictions: y by Dan Gearino Staff Writer Al Baker, owner of Al Baker's Restaurant in Eagan, sees a future where. restaurants in Minnesota will be smoke free. He is working toward that future by expanding smoke -free hours at his restaurant - and by lobbying the state Legislature to consider more stringent indoor smoking restrictions. , Baker is not alone. On Aug. 1, an ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants went into effect in Moose 'Lake. A similar ordinance will take effect in Duluth at the end of the year. In Crookston, no govern-. ment intervention was needed as all local restaurants voluntar- ily went smoke free in January. During August,- Al Baker's . Restaurant is smoke free from . opening to 2 p.m. in both the See Smoke, 1OA - $375 PER / Only 1st Payment Mo. MSRP $31,175 ta!'29, 999 389 MPER / 1stOnty Payment o MSRP S32,725 '28,295 ` Low APR in lieu of 8500 of Rebate, Lease plus 1st pymt., lic. fee & DOC. Payment + tax. Tax on cash O.A.C. 39 MO. LEASE SPECIAL $269 MD. /$1500 'Z99 PER / O1stnPayment MO PLUS - CASH TRADE Plus 1st payment, lic. fee & DOC Payment + tax. Tax TRUCKS - VANS - 4X4s - SPORT UTILITIES - SUMME 2000 DODGE DURANGOs SLT Rental Returns, V8 Power, auto., front & rear air, pwr. windows, locks & seat, tilt, cruise, rear seat. These are loaded! Best Price S26700 lour Pick 2000 PLY. VOYAGER Grand S.E. Rental Return. 3.3 V6, auto., front & rear air, PW, PL, 7 pass w/child seats & sunscreen glass. S,A .f►A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA WOW! Deep Amethyst Club Cab Sport Pkg. 4x4, auto., air, tilt, cruise, 20xxx act., one owner. Best Price S18,800 Oue Price 1998 DODGE DAKOTA Sharp Deep Amethyst 4x2 Club Cab. V6, auto. w/air cond., tilt, cruise, alloy wheels. s1, 2AA 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Flame Red, V8 SLT Sport Pkg., Quad Cab 4x4, auto., air, power windows, locks, tilt, cruise, one owner! Best Price S19,800 Onr Price 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE 4 Dr. Country Limited 4x4, Red Buckskin Leather, Alloy wheels, auto., air, tilt, cruise, pwr. wdws., locks, seat. Just traded - Save! 1997 DODGE S.L.T. Club Cab 4X4. V8 m air, tilt, cruise, PW, PL, ma topper. Load Best Price S16,2( 1997 JEEP CH Driftwood Grand Laredo auto., air, power windc cruise, Lease Return Smoke/Continued indoor and outdoor dining areas- Sunday through Friday. It' ;;this: g r.. trial is successful, Baker said he;' 'would like to .expand smoke - free hours. • "We would like to eventually •. be smoke free day'and night," he . said. . In the first couple days of the trial, Baker reported ,that fouL customers walked out after real- izingthey couldn't light up. He said that the small number of walkouts 'confirms his feeling that less than 5 percent of the. restaurant's clientele will go elsewhere because.of the policy. Baker said that going smoke free in his restaurant will not only be great for the health of employees and customers, but it will also boost the bottom. line. "I'm addressing what I feel - the public wants," he said, adding that he is confident that he will, gain many more cus- tomers, as well as •attract a ' broader range of employees. Baker, a nonsmoker, has plenty :of experience dealing With smokers from more than 30 '• years in the bar and restaurant business,15 of those years at•Al Baker's. He said that niaintain- ing a smoking section is a "pain in the neck" and the restaurant , • industry will be better off when :the smoking section is a thing of the past. Sidney's is the orily, Eagan restaurant with a liquor license that is currently smoke free dur- ing all hours of operation. All other smoke -free -restaurants in town are fast food or casual din- ing chains. The liquor license distinction. is important because most large sit-down restaurants derive. a Lsubstantial portion of sales from liquor, arid —liquor constr is often associated with smok- ing. Sidney's is a locally owned -'chain of five .restaurants that was founded in 1991 with the following language in its mis- sion • statement: "For better health, we offer a smoke free , environment." -' Abbe Shapiro, vice president of Sidney's, said that being smoke free has been.an essential part of the company's image. • "Our "restaurant is clean. It smells good," Shapiro said. "The concentration is on the food." - Bar. and restaurant owners •are represented by two advoca- cy groups in.the Minnesota, the Minnesota Hospitality Association and the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association. Baker said that he and restaurant owners from smoke -.free areas as .well as areas that would like. to be smoke free are -attempting. to ,sway the ..consensus within these groups in • order to better lobby 'the state - Legislature. Baker said that several state leg- islators' are . in favor of more stringent restrictions, but many moreare lukewarm about the idea. Once. a majority. of legisla- tors want a smoke -free law; they must take the difficult next:step of •writing specific rules and ions. Baker said that the smoke -free ordinance in Mesa. Ariz., could be workable in Minnesota. In Mesa, bars deriv- ing 50 percent of their gross rev-. enue from •alcohol may allow smoking if the, bar is physically separated from adjacent busi- nesses; 'restaurants may only allow smoking in a clearly marked, outdoor dining area; and private clubs. may .allow smoking at events not open -,to .the general public.. Opponents of- smoke -free ordinances often claim that business will be harmed. Advocates such as Baker - believe that examples in. cities -such as Moose. Lake, Duluth and Crookston will eventually be adequate eviclence against thatclaim. - "People who° drink -and smoke want to• besocial,".Bilker said: "They're not -going tCosit at home and drink. an`d smoke by • themselves." . Eagan City Council candidates will appear at public forum The seven candidates who have filed for the Eagan 'City Council primary election have been invited to present their views at a public forum to be held Wednesday, Aug. • 16 at 7 p.m. at the Eagan Municipal Center. All candidates will make opening statements followed by audi- ence questions. The forum is sponsored by the Education Fund of the League of Women Voters of Northern Dakota .County Area as a service to vot- ers prior to the Sept. 12 primary election. The four winning candidates inthe primary will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. Dakota County declared agricultural disaster area Last week, the Federal. Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that Dakota County has been declared an agricultural dis- aster area in conjunction with the federal disaster declaration already in effect due to.the July 8 and 9 storms. Dave Gisch, Dakota County Emergency Services director, said this means farmers in Dakota County whose crops were damaged during the'July 8 and 9 storms will be eligible for low -interest feder- al loans for losses not covered by other insurance. The deadline to apply for assistance is 60 days from the declaration. Damage to trees or soil erosion is not -covered. Anyone who wants to begin the application process or get addi- tional information should call the local office of the federal Farm Service.Agency (FSA) at-651-463-8626. Agricultural experts estimate that in Dakota County, about 5 per- - cent of 110,000 acres of feed grain crops were damaged or destroyed; about 50 percent of the 10,000 acres of fresh vegetable crops were damaged -or destroyed, and about 5 percent of the 75,000 oil seed crops -(such as soybeans) were damaged, according to Gisch.. He said much of the reported damage occurred near Rosemount and in spots east of Farmington. The damage was caused by the same storms that - flooded public and private property in Eagan, Burnsville and Apple Valley. Federal low -interest loan checks have already started arriving in the hands of homeowners ins those areas. Because Dakota County is the primary county named in the dis- aster declaration, farmers in contiguous counties who sustained dam- age at the same time from the same cause are also, eligible to file loan Those counties are Goodhue Cott, Washington and r 1. Now Availal M t £GG.W'LVI . In t ha FOOD SP COMPACT RONCO SHO ROTISSORIE "Set It ar f We also c< Food D Ronco Sep.27. 2001 12:27PM THE WALLACE GROUP • No.8340 P. 2/3 ;..3;;,» L WINCVTIES,COM JRSDAY EMBER 27, 2001 dbyt1 e" sai EFAR PRESS MINNESOTA'S FIRST NEWSPAPER ,.Al-B firer, 1iV1t'+,aT rest#0.int n E g r Firms in Eagan craft survival strategies A third of work force in city is tied to airport BY AMY SHERMAN Pioneer Press ' Even before the Sept. 11 ter- rorist attacks hurt the economy, Al Baker was thinking about changing his menu to offer less expensive meals to diners watching their wallets more carefully. After the attacks, which caused the stock market to tum- ble and airlines to cut jobs, the owner of Al Baker's restaurant in Eagan knew he was heading in the right direction. Out with the 12-ounce filet, in with the cheaper wrap sandwiches. SOUTH SUBURBAN EDITION • 25 CENT Businesses nationwide are exploring how to adjust to the weakening economy as con- sumers worrying about their jobs and financial portfolios, tighten the purse strings. That's especially true in Eagan, which is home to Northwest Airlines' headquarters and several other EFFECT ON EAGAN, 17A On Page 18: Northwest will delay paying the airport, On Page 1C: Most laid -off Northwest workers get relief pay and benefits. Sep.27. 2001 12:28PM THE WALLACE GROUP Effect on Eagan (continued) businesses that rely on airport traffic, including hotels and freight companies. Many Eagan business owners say it's too soon to predict the impact of Northwest layoffs and reduced nights during the next several months, but they're spec- ulating about potential losses. About a third of the Eagan work force is tied to the airport, according to the city. That's why Mayor Pat Awada has pushed for the state and federal government to provide financial assistance to the airline and laid -off workers. "In these days of crisis, Presi- dent Bush has repeatedly told the nations of the world that in the battle against terrorism that 'you are either with us or against us," Awada said in a written state- ment. "Given all that Northwest and its people have meant to the Eagan community over the years we wish to make it clear that we are with Northwest and affected workers in this hour of need." Eagan is not a one -company town — it's also home to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lockheed Martin and other corporations. However, Northwest is the sec- ond-largest taxpayer in Eagan after West Group, paying about $1.48 million this year. The air- line is also part of the social fab- ric of the community of about 63,000 residents. "Every neighborhood In Eagan has somebody who works at Northwest Airlines — literally," said Mark Reimer, a member of the city's economic development commission. Shop- pers in grocery stores and par- ents watching youth basketball games are talking about the lay- offs. Northwest did not have a figure for the number of employees who live in Eagan, but estimated that up to 2,800 live in northern Dakota County. Other Eagan companies also could be affected: ▪ Some of the No. 8 3 4 0ght P. 3/3 related businesses could taco layoffs, and the smaller ones may shut down, predicted Barry Koerner, branch manager at USF Worldwide, a freight forwarder. The businesses could face higher costs as a result of having fewer choices of airlines to reach cer- tain cities and increased security measures, he said. "We're trying to hunker down and hold on to cash as best we can. All the (freight) forwarders are review- ing internally how they are going to handle this. It's not look- ing extremely good right now,". • The 14 hotels in Eagan are predicting a 15 percent to 20 per- cent drop in October and Novem- ber, said Ann Carlon, director of the Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau. About 70 percent of the hotel guests are corporate clients, which means hotels will lose customers as businesses cut back on travel. Before Sept. 11, the visitors' bureau was already planning • to increase hotel mar- keting to Minnesotans, rather than guests who are flying — a plan that makes even more sense now. • For small companies Iike the three -person Sollie Travel, the sudden drop in business is particularly stressful. Audrey Sollie said business had already dropped before Sept. 11 due to consumers booking tickets on the Internet and airlines reduc- ing agents' commissio.ns. "If there's not money coming in, that's ,our livelihood," said Sol - lie, who is living off her hus- band's retirement income • from a previous Job. "We're not ready to give up on it; there are a lot of people that are." ■ Eagan restaurants could be affected • in multiple ways, because both Northwest employ- ees and hotel guests frequent the restaurants. "I will. not be very confident that business will stay the same if thousands of people in our back yard are not working .right now," said Doron Jensen, owner of Jensen's Supper Club. However Jensen thinks he has a good niche for times like this: he's on the low end of the .high - end restaurants in the Twin Cities. In other words, eating at Jensen's could be cutting back for people who normally eat at more expensive restaurants. Even when the economy 'sours, consumers won't elimi- nate going out to eat, Jensen said. Restaurants can be a refuge during hard times. "Boy, I tell you, this is the time to really be there (for people). It puts more onus on what you do, how do you take care of people?" .N DS Fo 1-.DER SGV\IS 1Y28,2001 N W DAKOTA COUNTY o fig ethanol plant's for lfi- to invest $400,000 each to help pay it- for the oxidizer, but they now are nd focusing on the Legislature after im . receiving little encouragement on on funding help from city officials. 'T think we've invested so much ild . time and money into this, were just looms for them to come up ✓ et with the solution.," said Council sa Member Chris Coleman. "We'll -< 00 support (the plant) trying to get o to money from the state, but right T if- nDW it's just wait -and -see oII if the- m tal oxidizer works." But that strategyy ed to succeed. Stafflciais already to are indicating that the city will be ve expected to assist the plant in get- nd ting the oxidizer. al Mariani acknowledged the poten- ty tial difficulties in getting legisia- Li live approval for funding and the m iy likelihood that lawmakers would l look for St. Paul to match the ON he state's c:ontsibut is. -1 is He said he encouraged communi- 000 he ty members affected by the ul ethanol . plant to testify before the 4" id Ieegislatune.on.the urgency of sdv cr o fU ; indecent -exposure o-eXpOsurtr -Char big the -040r Prohlems- te --MUR041 BALM, STAFF WRITER • the restaurant. The woman, who po it was With.:: friends, said Korogi • re_ moved to sit closer to heran _ and then co a begun g his 'chair back and forth. She "observed that Korogi d< . had his shirt up and his pants unbuttoned and unzipped and his LOCAL NEWS SOUTH SUBURBAN Survey on restaurant smoking bans fizzles Proposal was part of secontiand smoke awareness campaign HANNAH ALlAM STAFF WRITER Dakota County commissioners spent more than a half-hour Tuesday debating a proposal to survey restaurants on whether they restrict smoking. The survey was part of a Public Health- department resolution for a $225,000 awareness campaign on the dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke. Names of smoke - free establishments would be included on a statewide restaurant Three directory. commissioners decried the countywide survey, saying it would create a "blacklist" of eateries that allow smokers. The trio — commissioners Don Maher, Joe SOUTH ST. PAUL Harris and Will Branning — urged that the grant money allotted for the survey be spent on public edu- cation or put to better use. "We should take the money and use it for health programs to sub- sidize smoking -related medical costs," Maher said after the meet- ing. "That would be more positive than taking a survey of a bunch of Supporters of the survey — - commissioners Nancy Scbouweiler and Paul Krause — argued that the voluntary poll would be the best foundation for a widespread awareness campaign. The goal of the survey is to educate residents on the risks associated with sec- ondhand smoke, not to develop ordinances banning smoking in restaurants, according to the reso- hstica.. "This is a public -health issue," Schouweiler said. -'"The rasnifkca- City hires firm to test airport expansion site Soutb St. Paul has tappedan environmental consulting firm to investigate a proposed site for the city's airport expan- s - - Plans to develop Fleshing Field on a seven -acre plat in neighboring Inver Grove Heights provoked land hazard eon - terns The location is a former community eardeos site arevi- Lions of second-hand . smoke as a detriment to youth who have no control over it does eventually become a county funding issue if these people dof't havehealthillGtll insurance." The proposed resolution eventu- ally fizzled for lack of the required four votes to take action on agen- da _items. The unusual 3-2 split arose because only five board members attended the meeting Commissioner Patrice Bataglia was recovering from surgery and Chairman Mike Turner is on vaca- tion_ The issue may resurface in a future board meeting, although likely in a resolution with different wording SAINT PAUL PIONEER PIS OBITUARY Irannah Mam can be reached at ballamr@ploneerpress.com or _{651) 228-2172_ DAKOTA COUNTY CALENDAR. APPLE VALLEY Open home on regional trail: Dakota County Parks Department will hold an open house on the extension and enhancement to the `Big Rivers Regional Trail from 6 to 9 pm. Thursday in the Camp Sacajawea Lodge at Lebanon Aillc RPvinnaT Per§ '191 M..A.,.7....... Judson Berra 87, was civic benefactor, busin Judson "Sandy" Bemis, known for continually working for the good of the Twin Cities community even after he retired from the Bemis Co. founded by his grandfather, Bents died of heart faihme Monday at his Gem La home. He was 87. Bennis' volunteer contributic include founding the Minnest Business Partnership, a group. corporate chief executive offra who pushed for improvements business and education, and wo ing as a key fund-raiser fur o Ordway Center for the Perform - Arts, Orchestra Hall, Minness Opera and the Ted Mann % J Hall. "The Twin Cities has lost • most dedicated citizen," said K neth Dayton, former CEO of th Dayton -Hudson Corp. and a to time friend. "He taught us all h to volunteer, how to stay involy how to snake a difference_ wrote a Dew book on retirem — not golf or the beach, 1 CD a n • cc a FT - BEN CHANCO STAFF WRITER I r T . m...l.....-..._� -- Ai_ _ -K-'-- -� S UNU 0 f - 2 - ZCZ Andy Blenkush/Sun Newspapers Eagan resident Linda Young has worked in the restaurant business for years. Now, she co -owns the new Axel's Bonfire in Eagan. Restaurant blazes way into Eagan Axel's Bonfire opens in Thomas Lake center By Joshua Nichols Sun Newspapers hen the first Axel's restaurant opened in Mendota, owners Charlie Burrows & and Linda Young were just looking to get their feet wet in the restaurant business. Five and a half years later, they are making a bigger splash in the area with a total of five restau- rants, including the new Axel's Bonfire in Eagan. The bonfire part of the new restaurant's name partially comes from the way the restaurant cooks most of its food. The food is mainly cooked using woodfire ovens, woodburning rotisseries and with other methods involving wood. Unlike the Axel's supper clubs in Mendota, Chanhassen, Roseville and Loretto, the menu fea- tures a more moderately priced variety of smoked spit -roasted meats, woodfire-oven pizzas, beef and pork ribs, fajitas and sandwiches. "We put Axel's in the name so people would know we were involved and the bonfire part comes from the fact we want to have the restaurant be a gath- ering place where people can come and have a good time," said Burrows, an Eagan resident. "There's more of an attitude at the new restaurant." Burrows and Young looked at moving their business into the Eagan area after a store went out of business in the Thomas Lake shopping cen- ter on Cliff Road about a yew -ago. Burrows, who lives down the street from the former store, thought the location might be a good place for a new restaurant. "We are always looking for new opportunities and this one just seemed like one that was too good to let pass," Burrows said. AXELS: To Page 1SA Co LU( -2-- cL6 2. Axel's Froin'Page 1A • Burrows and Young decided to open a restaurant 5 1/2 years ago when -they. both worked at Byerly's. When Burrows learned that Young shared his interest in starting a restaurant, he told her he - would handle the kitchen operation if she would handle the other aspects of the business. From that first restaurant in Mendo- ta'the pair went on to open the newer lo- cations in Chanhassen and Loretto and their newest venture_'in the Radisson Hotel in Roseville:- ° "'°_';` The Roseville location was the result of a licensing agreement with Nath Cos., a Bloomington -based franchisee of fast food and hotel -concepts. - - While their agreement -.with Nath re- lates just to the Roseville'site, Burrows and Young could develop other locations with Nath. "We have no commitment right now and no prearranged plans, -but we are willing -to look at any opportunities that come up," Burrows said. The Eagan restaurant opened Dec. 26 and is drawing diners and getting most- ly good reviews from its patrons, Burrows said. "We've been pleasantly surprised at -how well it has been doing since it opened," he said. "We're happy with how it's gone so far and a lot of that is thanks to the hard work of our employees." As with any new restaurant venture, Burrows said the Bonfire restaurant has some minor issues to work out but that the comments from its customers have been "fantastic." "It would have obviously been easier if we had been opening another Axel's like our other locations,"- Burrows said. "When you -are dealing with a whole new concept, you are bound to have a harder time. It's been busy so far and as it gets going more and more things will fall into place." Axel's= Bonfire is at 1565 Cliff Road. For more'inforniation, contactthe restau- rant at 651-452-0200. c n jrobmu. ri-= 01-ao Joe Senser's Restaurant closes .doors In • The economy and a difficult location were cited as reasons. By WENDY LEE wendy.lee@startribune.com Joe Senser's Restaurant . and Sports Theater said Monday it has closed its Eagan location, surprising the local community. "I'm as shocked as anybody else," said Joel Lehman, the property's owner. Lehman drove to the restau- rant on Eagandale Place Monday, Gold (oz.) Oil (bbl.) 3-month v $31.20 v $0.13 T-bill $1,716.00 $93.19 -0.02% only to see closed signs on the,. door. Lehman said the restaurant's rent lasted until Monday. He declined to discuss the restaurant's financial performance or rent payments. Mike Hrudka, director of oper- ations for Joe Senser's, said the bar closed due to the tough economy. He also cited the restaurant's loca- tion, which requires many turns to get intoits parking lot. Hrudka did not respond to ques- tions about the number of employ- ees at the eatery, but said the com- 10-year 30-year Prime T-note T-bond rate 2.11% 3.13% 3.25% t.' r ex9 �5¢r3 r a.i pany will work to transfer as many,+ workers as possible,to Sener'ssrest, taurants in Bloomington,_Rosevi and Plymouth. Dick' Grones,'. founder;:;; bridge Commercial,; Realty other restaurants.aremorel stay' open because: they are inb locations: Eaganhas also been a trout ble spot for eateries m recent years.., because Northwest Airluiesflost-its:'; Eagan headquarters when Delta Lines bought NWA in2008:;::,: Senser's continues on D2 ►. LIBOR ; ,, U S3 month 1392'4f1 0.25% 78'i05yen Joe Senser's Restaurant closes doors in Eagan SENSER'S FROM D1 The closed sign on Senser's Eagan location said gift cards and coupons could be used at the other locations. "I feel badly to hear that they have closed down because the staff had been working hard to be active in the communi- ty," said Ruthe Batulis, presi- dent of the Dakota County Re- gional Chamber of Commerce. "We're sensitive about the staff members there. Hopefully they will find jobs elsewhere." Batulis said Senser's partici- pated in Eagan's 150th anniver- sary celebration, where they helped collect canned goods for an ambitious food drive. Senser, a former Minnesota Vikings football player, opened the Eagan restaurant in 1998. Former and current sports players have been spotted at Senser's various bars. The closure comes as Sen- ser's wife, Amy Senser, faces a felony hit-and-run charge in the Aug. 23 death of a Minne- apolis chef. Amy Senser ad- mitted to striking Anousone Phanthavong with her vehicle as he filled his,car with gas on the Interstate 94 ramp at River- side Avenue just east of down- town Minneapolis. Phantha- vong was a popular chef at True Thai restaurant. Wendy Lee • 612-673-1712 Stimu us provides small usiness tools for survival Without stimulus -enhanced business loan, Doron Jensen fears what would have happened to his Eagan restaurant by Derrick Williams DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE While the last 18 months have been especially rocky for busi- nesses, the economic downturn has been especially hard on the restaurant sector. During any recession, not to mention this historically bad one, discretionary spending — the kind used for a nice meal and a glass of wine — dries up for consumers looking to save their dollars. For restaurants like Jensen's Supper Club in Eagan, in the midst of its 14th year in business, the poor economy has spelled gloom. "We're at the top of the food chain when it comes to people saving money," said Doron Jensen, owner of Jensen's Supper Club. He said not only are dining dollars down, but people who chose to spend money dining out are spending it at less expensive places than supper clubs. "It's not been a good year for us," he said. Bad became worse, Jensen said, in March and April. The economy was bottoming out — the stock market hit its lowest levels on March 9, business was poor, and Jensen, 51, suddenly had building problems. A sprinkler issue ruined his hardwood floors, forcing him to close for two -weeks, and the building's roof was leaking and in dire need of a $50,000 repair. "Things looked bleak," Jensen said. "I'm sitting in (the restau- rant), wet -vacs are running and I'm literally bailing water out of my building thinking, 'What am I going to do? Business is tanking, our slow time is coming and I can't fix this stuff.' I was ready to lose it." Worried about his restaurant and his 45 employees, Jensen said he reached the end of his rope and called his bank, the city of Eagan and his lawyer. "I needed help, and boy, I'm glad I asked for it,"Jensen said. Turns out his lawyer and the city didn't have much to offer, but Anchor Bank in Eagan had just received word that the Small Busi- ness Administration had received $730 million in stimulus funding to enhance its loan and bonding programs. Jensen said a week after talking to Anchor, he had a plan to roll his mortgage, a couple other business loans and the $50,000 he needed for his roof into an SBA loan. "It saved us. We're whole today because of it," Jensen said. "I had to find a way to lower my operating costs, and this did the trick:I'm paying far lower monthly now." According to www.recover y.goy, the government transparency Web site that tracks and allows people see where stimulus dol- lars are going, Jensen received a $1.21 mil- lion federally backed, SBA 7(a) loan. "It was huge for us. People can say *--................... ---- bz4,41a-voecptvieri File photo by John Gessner Doron Jen- sen, owner of Jensen's Sup- per Club, said his business was made whole after it received a Small Business Ad- ministration loan through federal economic stimu- lus funding. things about the stimulus, but right here in our back yard, a busi- ness got propped up and helped so it could continue to do business," Jensen said. "That's a good thing." See Jensens, Page 15A tioXk ce,t,vs, d Outte, \O -2 - 2-6 o' Jensens from Page IA Arleen Sullivan, president of Anchor Bank's Eagan branch, said SBA loans have been a good program u for a long time, but the n changes made as a result of w the stimulus efforts are of- t fering more help than ever. "The SBA loans are to good because the program m provides longer loan terms so they can have smaller ti monthly payment and pre- fo serve cash flow," Sullivan a said. "That's especially im- fo portant in this economy, wo when businesses are un- ter der increased stress. That smaller payment can be the yea difference in surviving." yea Melissa Kraemer, the me SBA manager at Anchor me Bank's Eagan location, said hav there are a few ways the the SBA program was modified mer by the stimulus to be more E beneficial to small business, favo First, almost all of the fees are waived, Kraemer said said. In most cases, busi- S nesses were charged 2-3 uniq percent of the loan amount in fees and points. nesse "No more," she said. their Second, the loans are 90 said. percent backed by the gov- "W ernment, meaning if a busi- a boo ness defaults on the loan, gettin the government picks up 90 Kr percent of it for the bank. busin "It allows banks to take petitiv the leap with their custom- debt ers," Kraemer said. "Every- years. one talks about the credit "Bu restrictions and banks flow t tightening their le but companies are les it worthy now becaus have less cash flow. B 90 percent backing s to say yes to these. esses and give the orking capital they o survive." Finally, terms wer nded to allow for sm onthly payments. Kraemer said con onally, business 1 ✓ real estate would 20-year term and 1 ✓ equipment and ca uld only have a five- m. "Now we can offer rs on real estate and rs for any other purp aning a businesses p nt s are lower _and t e the working cap y need to survive," Kr said. ven interest rates rable, Kraemer said. Under 5 percent," s ullivan said Jensen is ue. here are a lot of bus s looking to addre finances, Sulliv e're coming out o m time and now it' g tough," she said. aemer said a lot o esses, to remain com- e, took on a lot o during those boom t they had the cash o handle it. Now, it's nding, a different story," Kraemer s cred- said. e they Sullivan said an SBA ut the loan might not be the best. allows answer for all businesses,.: busi- and may not be offered by m the other banks. need "For instance, Anchor Bank offered Jensen ariSBA e ex- loan that may not have been. alter offered by another bank," Sullivan said. "It's best to ven- talk to a number of banks oans and advisers to see what the have best course is to take." oans Jensen said the loan did pital more than save his business year and his employees, but also offered a job to the dozen 25 or more workers who fixed 10 his roof. ose, "There were 12 or 14 ay- guys up there working. hey They had a job,"Jensen ital said. "And on top of it, as a ae- business owner, this made it • possible to continue to be are relevant. It's huge." Jensen said his floors.are he fixed too, with help from the insurance company, and n't he's now in a good position for when the economy does i- come back and people start ss looking to eat out again. an "It worked out, acid I'm much happier today,"Jensen f said. "We're a destination s restaurant and we'll still be_ here when the economy im- f proves." For more information f about SBA loans, visit www. sba.gov. Derrick Williams is at derrick williams@ m-znc.com.