Kiger's Notebook

Fat Willy's revving up

This time around Bill Henderson is in the driver's seat as he gears up a new hot rod of a bar-and-grill in south Rochester.

Henderson, who has managed the Mayo Civic Center concessions for Canadian Honker owner Joe Powers for the past seven years, is cooking up a place of his own called Fat Willy's.

It's being put together in a commercial building across from the Wehrenberg Galaxy Theater in the Shoppes on Maine development along U.S. 63 South.  "This something I've always wanted to do," said Henderson, who is retired from Mayo Clinic and has worked with Powers since he opened the Honker in 1985.

With a hot-rod garage theme, the 3,500-square-foot Fat Willy's is expected to take off from the starting line in September. Look for the menu to feature hamburgers, fries and sandwiches.

"Basically we'll be serving bar food, but we'll also do some unique stuff like shrimp boil specials and broasted chicken," he said. "We just want to make it a fun place where people can sit down, have a beer, good food and shoot the breeze."

Inside it will seat about 125 to 130 people and another 65 to 70 on a large patio that has a fire pit and outdoor bar.

"With that pond and waterfall out there, it is just a heck of a nice atmosphere," Henderson said.

Why the name?

"Everybody has always called me Willy," he said with a chuckle. "

And, well, I'm not the slimmest guy in the world."

Fat Willy's is also an homage to the classic 1941 Willys Coupe, known for its wide rear end. Henderson estimates that he'll have about 15 on staff.

Hubbell House to re-launch lunch

Remember when I wrote about the Hubbell House in Mantorville discontinuing lunch on weekdays?

After lots of comment from the community, owner Don Pappas has made to plans to re-launch lunch.

And he sees it as more than just adjustment to his business schedule. He hopes it will be seen by others as a spark, a flicker of light in dark economic times.

"I'm trying to be optimistic," Pappas says. "Let’s try to get this thing going again."

I'll have more on this in print Monday.

More on Hubbell House dropping lunch

Here's my print story on the Hubbell House change:

Due to the economic downturn and changes in area dining trends, Mantorville’s Historic 

Hubbell House is taking lunch off the weekday menu.

Starting Tuesday, the 154-year-old restaurant will no longer serve lunch Tuesday through Friday. Lunch will still be available on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m.

“We’re not happy about it, but we feel we need to do this,” says Don Pappas, co-owner and operator whose family has owned the restaurant since 1946. “The economics of it warrant it.”

He cited the recession hitting his lunch crowd’s pocketbooks as well as competition from casinos for bus tours as two reasons for the change.

While it is not what they’d like to change, it does return the classic eatery to its “roots” as a supper club.

“For our first 30 years, we were a supper club,”  he said.

That changed in the 1970s, when they added lunch service.

“The lunch trend has been on a downward move for a few years now,” Pappas says. “The peak was in the late ’80s and early ’90s.”

The plan is to open at 4 p.m. on weekdays. The Hubbell House is closed on Mondays.
Pappas plans to make the early dinner specials “more special” to help ease the switchover.

Pappas has more than 90 people on staff.

“These modifications will allow the Hubbell House to concentrate more on the weekend and evening hours,” he said.

Hubbell House to change dining hours

Here's some from a release about a change coming to the Hubbell House in Mantorville.

Beginning Tuesday, January 6,  the Hubbell House in historic Mantorville, Minnesota will stop serving lunch on weekdays and will begin opening at 4: p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The Hubbell House will continue to open at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and will serve continuously through the evening hours. 

The changes are a reflection of evolving customer trends, coupled with the current economic crisis. 

These modifications will allow the Hubbell House to concentrate on the weekend and evening hours.

-----------

Worth noting too, the Hubbell House, in its current inception, did not begin serving weekday lunches until the mid 1970’s, some thirty years after its grand reopening in June of 1946. This was long before the advent of casinos and other forms of tourist related ventures, all with a share of people’s discretionary income in mind. Now, times have changed and it has come full circle and will return to its original supper club roots.

Mantorville Saloon's new deal

The Mantorville Saloon is sporting a new look under a new owner.

Steve Williams bought the Mantorville Saloon, which is across the street from the Hubbell House, from Dick Schwanke.

“Basically, when I was selling liquor, I used to sell to the Mantorville Saloon and I always thought it was a tremendous opportunity,” said Williams on why he made the move.

Williams, who also owns Pine Island Liquor Store/Sports Bar and Dominic’s Pizzeria, took over the saloon on Feb. 13.

His plan is to offer live music and entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

“If you provide atmosphere and entertainment, people will stay here rather than drive to Rochester,” Williams said. “That’s why I like smaller communities”

The saloon seats around 100 and Williams has 12 on staff.

Iraqi prez + Hubbell House

The Hubbell House in Mantorville recently added another famous signature to its guest book.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani ate at the historic restaurant during a recent visit to Mayo Clinic, according to the Dodge Center Star Record.

A translation of his note was printed in the newspaper:

"We had a good night and delicious food.

It's a good restaurant and good service. I hope you grow more, and I greet the employees and the owner.
You guys deserve to have a democratic country like America and I'm happy to see restaurants like this in America.

I hope you succeed more in your work."

More on Mantorville coffee house

I heard about this at the Rochester Area Builders Association networking night at Northern Lights. Here's the details:

Want to hang out in Mantorville?

So does Kristin Alexander. She and her partner, Adrianne McNiff, are creating the County Seat Coffeehouse, just across the street from the Historic Hubble House.

“I feel this area just needs a place to hang put - a place for good conversation and good food,” she says.
The plan is open the County Seat in August and start serving regular coffee along with espresso drinks. Food will include pastries and desserts made by McNiff with sandwiches, soups and salads. It will be open for breakfast and lunch.

It will also sell antiques and new gift items.

New biz list for Dec. 4

• Westfield Townhomes Association, Inc.
804 Westfield Court
Kasson

• The Hometown Singers, Inc.
805 Fifth St. N.W.
Kasson

• Gibbs Partnership, LLP
986 Eighth Ave. N.W.
Byron

• Serendipity Power Equipment L.L.C.
810 Third Ave
Wanamingo

• Koehler Collision Center, LLC
1160 Frontenac Drive
Winona

• Riverview Heights LLC
1450 49th Ave
Winona

• Rock Solid Coffee, LLC
Gerg Moser
75 W. Thitd St.
Winona

• KGR, LLC
3750 85th St. N.W.
Oronoco

• Island Properties, LLC
640 Vintage Road N.W.
Oronoco

• Feils Plainview, LLC
140 Fourth St. S.W.
Plainview

• Tlougan Enterprises LLC
23656 County Road 27
Plainview

• Nelson Quality Construction, LLC
61923 252nd Ave.
Mantorville

• Christina Pristash, M.S., LMFT, LLC
1076 Bush Court S.
Eyota

• CTSW, LLC
Bruce Bordelon
200 Fifth St. S.E.
Kasson

• JG & MM Properties, LLC
110 E. Main St.
PO Box 149
Caledonia

• Caledonia Ag Rental, LLC
826 S. Marshall St.
Caledonia

• Sheila M. Daley, PLC
1028 Main St. S.
Chatfield

• Manak LLC
827 Main S.
Red Wing

• Reset My Soul LLC
3253 19th St. N.W. #1
Rochester

• Personalized Memories LLC
2412 Viking Drive N.W.
Rochester

• Pathways to Wellness Counseling

• XYLO Properties, LLC
302 Elton Hills Drive N.W. #500
Rochester

• Jeff Brown Real Estate LLC
201 23rd Ave. S.W. #100
Rochester

• Herring Exterior Design, LLC
5500 U.S. 63 S
Rochester

• American Bobshells Hair Studio, LLC
Jeffrey R Dewitz
1210 Third St. S.E.
Rochester

New Biz list for Sept. 13

The new businesses list has moved to Wednesdays from its former home in the Monday Business section. So look for for it on the business page on Sept. 13.

Other regular Monday Business items, like Business and Professional Notes, are also on the meove. Look for B&Ps in the weekend edition.

This is still a work in progress. le me know what you think.

Anyway, here the new businesses list that will be in print on Wednesday:

• Pro Image Marketing, 422 N. Byron Ave., Byron

• Buckingham Properties, 1632 Lilac Lane S.W., Byron

• VOTEPHIL.Com, 330 10th Ave. N.W., Byron

• Frontier Adjusters of Rochester Appraisal Services, 17993 690th St., Dodge Center

• Nelson Brothers Farms, a Partnership, 27884 County Road 11, Fountain .

• Autumn Ridge Ranch, 62147 260th Ave., Mantorville.

• The Restoration Company, 10630 Third Ave. .NW., Oronoco

• Kruger Family Farms, 22814 E County Road 8, Plainview

• Petit Bio-Ag, 7231 County Road 10 N.E., Plainview
• Stone Glen, 13409 270th St., Spring Valley.

• Thorson Excavating and Septic, 509 University Ave., Spring Valley.

• DMD and Associates, 10232 County Road 1 S.E., Stewartville.

• DLR Products, 10232 County Road 1 S.E, Stewartville.

• NorthStarGuppies, 15365 669th St. Wabasha.

• Kerri’s Electronics Shop, 1515 W Fifth St. Apt 206, Winona.

• WinonaApt.com, 450 E Fifth St., Winona.

• Tienter Siding, 480 Mill St., Zumbrota.

K-M daycare breaking ground

The Kasson-Mantorville Nursery Group, a non-profit in Kasson, is breaking ground today on a major expansion. It is adding 3,300-square-feet to its 4,700-square-foot building.

they have 67 students now and they be able to accept 45 more with the expansion. Andthis mean 66 tto 8 more jobs for the K-M area.

All of this info came from Shelly Sturdevant. I'll have more on this later.