Kiger's Notebook

Keeping the faith

Here's the follow up to Monday's Biz Buzz tease about a southwest Rochester business changing:

Many store owners say you need need faith to go into business in today's challenging environment.

That's not a problem for Mike and Sharon Goldsmith, who just took over ownership of a southwest Rochester store, Gifts of Faith.

They purchased the religious retailer with a Catholic focus from Cathy and Mike Tiegs.
The Tiegs had run the store at 1816 Second Street S.W. for the past four years.

When we heard they were interested in selling it, we just prayed about it. It seemed like a really good fit right now," Mike Goldsmith says.

Goldsmith, who has been trained in the Catholic Church's lay ministry, says he feels good about the business' future.

"There is a need for this in the city," he says.

Besides Bibles and religious books, the store carries items related to first communion, confirmation as well as Catholic religious medals and jewelry

Trader Joe's preps to clean house in Roch.

The grocery store with the cult following - Trader Joe's - is applying to demo to the inside of the former Cost Plus World Market store at 1200 16th St. S.W. to clear the way for its remodel and long prophesied arrival in the Med City.

I think some folks have still been doubting Thomases about the coming of Trader Joe's, despite my previous exclusive reporting at the end of May.

Now paperwork exists to prove to provide some backing to my stories.

Trader Joe's landlord in Rochester - Inland Commercial Property - submitted its application for an interior demo permit to the Rochester Building Safety office Monday.

The dollar figure put on the demo job is $45,000. So get ready, Trader-heads. TJ is coming soon.

And this isn't the only interesting permit app submitted Monday. Stay tuned.

The battery store coming to Roch. is...?

Most of you that tracked the earlier tease about the new battery store charging up to open in Rochester have probably guessed the name by now, but here it is.

Interstate Battery.

Actually, this is a re-location. Owner Kirk Sneeden is moving the shop from St. Charles to Rochester. It will share the Insty-Prints building at 2410 N. Broadway.

"Rochester has the market for us to expand in the all battery business," says Sneeden. "In this day and age with technology being portable, it is a good market."

Beside the 120 to 200 types of batteries on the shelves, Interstate Battery can also custom build any power source anybody needs," he said.

Expect the Rochester store to open in late February or early March. Between four to six people will work there.

Roch. + J. Witnesses + 2009 = $$$

It is a relationship that has stood the test of time going on 21 years.

The couple? The City of Rochester and the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Recently, the Jehovah’s Witness religious group signed up for another round of meetings in the summer and fall at Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center.

 

 It will hold seven meetings with the four district meetings in the summer expected to attract 6,000 people to each, while the three fall circuit meetings are forecast  to have 1,250 to 950 attending each.

 

For the city, the relationship is a profitably one.

 

Each of those four 6,000 person district meetings bring in an estimated $1.18 million economic impact, says the Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau. The three circuit meetings in the fall are expected to bring in $209,000, $107,000 and $144,900 respectively.

So by the Rochester convention bureau’s estimation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ meetings will bring a financial boost of biblical proportions to Rochester - $5.46 million.

The crowds of well-dressed families and individuals walking around downtown is a familiar sight to anyone that has lived in Rochester long.

But why do they keep coming back?

“ Rochester is a clean, safe, attractive city with skywalks and many beautiful hotels. The people are exceptionally friendly,” says David Kennedy, news director of the Minnesota Circuit 6 of Jehovah's Witnesses. “We enjoy coming to Rochester because city and convention and visitors' bureau officials are exceptionally cooperative. So are the folks at the Mayo Civic Center.”