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
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BtNS
New options for Eagan diners
City continues to attract new restaurants
by Erin Johnson
7HISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
With its shopping, demo-
graphics and sizeable work-
force, Eagan is a very attractive
location for new restaurants,
said Eagan's Director of Com-
munity Development Jon Ho-
henstein.
"What we've heard from the
restaurant owners who have ap-
proached us is that Eagan offers
a great mix of residential market
and daytime employment mar-
ket," he said. "Tens of thousands
of employees each day look for
places to eat lunch or dinner on
the way home."
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.
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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
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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 --
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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 .:.
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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
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s
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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>
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2000 DODGE DURANGOs
SLT Rental Returns, V8 Power, auto., front
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cruise, rear seat. These are loaded!
Best Price S26, 900 lour I'icl.
2000 PLY. VOYAGER
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front & rear air, PW, PL, 7 pass w/child
seats tit sunscreen glass.
1999 DODGE DAKOTA
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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
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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.