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Voted 2020 - 2023 Best of the Best Winner of Visit Bluff Country Beer/Wine/Spirits!
The Bakkes: Nathan, David, Lori, Kirsten, Chase, Emily & Colin
ARTICLES ABOUT GRANNYS!
New Lanesboro
Business
Will Lift Your Spirits
By Barb Jeffers
The historic main street of Lanesboro, Minn. has taken up drinking – and granny is supplying the booze. Granny’s Liquor, LLC will soon be opening its doors at 113 Parkway Ave. N. in Lanesboro.
David and Lori Bakke have owned the building for almost 20 years, purchasing it on April 13, 1995 to open “Grandma’s Garden” which was in business for almost 14 years.
After closing that business, the building was leased for several years and when the building became empty again the Bakke’s had a decision to make as to what to do.
The building was on the market for almost a year and had not sold, so David, Lori, and their sons Nathan, Chase, and Colin discussed opening a new business in the building. While many different business options were discussed, Chase came up with the idea of opening an off-sale liquor store.
They decided to keep the building on the market until the end of the year and if it hadn’t sold by then they would discuss business options further.
After spending a lot of time in Lanesboro during Buffalo Bill Days weekend last August, Lori said she realized “how much I missed Lanesboro”, and is now looking forward to being in town on a daily basis. Although they live in rural Lanesboro, and come to town quite often, it wasn’t the same as the time she spent in town every day running her business as she had in years past.
When the building hadn’t sold after the beginning of 2015 the Bakke family had a meeting and said, “Should we do it?” and everyone said, “Let’s do it!” according to Lori.
As they discussed it further, an off-sale liquor store seemed to be a good fit. Lori states that the family spent the month of January “doing a lot of research”, visiting approximately a dozen off-sale liquor stores to get a feel of what they thought they would like and not like for their business.
They looked at everything including sizes of coolers, items carried, interior colors, and even how they dressed and wrote everything down so they could go back later and review their notes.
The business owners were “very good to help”, states Lori, adding that “Tim at TJ’s Liquor (in Spring Valley, Minn.) has been really good” to offer advice and answer questions. The Bakke’s also spoke with other business owners in town to make sure they would not be stepping on anyone’s toes and they were assured that there is room in town for the new business and local businesses have been very supportive of the Bakke’s endeavor.
Remodeling of the interior of the building began in February and “there is a buzz in town” ,states Lori, as people stop in to see the work being done while commenting they are glad to see the Bakke’s “back in town” and local residents are anxious to see the selection Granny’s Liquor will offer.
Nathan says, “I’m excited” about opening the new business as is the rest of the family. Excited may be an understatement, as the family sees their vision coming to fruition with the demo part of the renovation finished.
David and Lori are glad to have their sons be part of this adventure, saying, “the boys grew up around Grandma’s Garden” as Nathan was five and Chase and Colin were four when it opened.
They are also grateful to have their sons to help them with the remodeling project as Lori comments, “It’s nice to have these handy boys here to help. Colin assisted in building houses for a couple years when he was in college,” states Lori, so he has experience and each one of the boys “has his own niche” and all three of them have been a tremendous help.
The boys “grew up being a part of retail business,” states Lori, and adds they have “great customer skills” to help operate Granny’s Liquor. Lori explains that the business venture is “a family affair” and the boys plan on being very involved while they also continue to work their full-time jobs.
Lori will be leaving her place of employment for the past three years, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. on April 7, 2015 to devote six days a week to Granny’s Liquor.
The family has been very busy working on the renovation and have come a long way. Barn wood siding has been put up on the interior walls and painting has been done. Lori spent 16 hours painting the original tin ceiling, which adds historical charm, as do the schoolhouse lights hanging from the ceiling. Lori explains they want to renovate with “a historic flair”, removing carpet to bring the floor back to hardwood which was refinished by family friend, Aaron Dybing. Old memorabilia will be displayed around the interior of the building to add to the historic feel.
A staircase that they built when they first purchased the building has been removed, which gives the interior space a new feel and the front door will be replaced, which will also change the look from the inside and outside.
The look of the exterior will also be changed with the installation of a new awning. A sign for Granny’s Liquor will soon be hung up above the front door as well.
Shelving, display racks, and even t-shirts are on their way as everything comes together nearing the opening date in late April 2015.
The Bakke’s still have the cooler that was used for Grandma’s Garden and additional coolers have been purchased. Lori’s godson, Cody Johnson, who owns Norse Valley Construction of Lanesboro, has been a huge help, as he did the framework for the large coolers.
Lori’s dad, Duane Sveen, and friend, Tammy Hughes have also put in a lot of elbow grease helping with the renovation, which David and Lori greatly appreciate.
Lori says it is very nice to have the support of her family and also to have the boys be a part of it as they have a different perspective on things and “it’s fun getting their take on it”, she adds.
Unlike most liquor stores, Granny’s Liquor will have display windows which Lori will take advantage of by placing a “granny” mannequin in a rocking chair in the window along with a couple whiskey barrels.
There will also be a section of the business called “Grumpy Gramp’s Beer Cave” where customers can grab their favorite beers by the case.
Granny’s Liquor will carry liquor, wine, and spirits of all kinds. They also plan on having wine-tasting and craft beer tasting on Saturdays. Lori also wants offer fun and interesting items such as liquor filled candies.
The business will also have mixers, pop, and ice available for customers’ convenience. Lori states they will need to learn their customer base to see what other items should be made available because they want to “carry a nice variety and have good prices” for their patrons, saying “it’s new for us – we’re on a learning curve” and they will adjust as necessary.
Granny’s Liquor may also be offering even more to customers with free delivery to campgrounds on Saturdays which would be a very convenient service to provide for area tourists and campers.
“Granny”, who appears on the logo for Granny’s Liquor is “a sassy, spunky little granny,” states Lori, which may be the reason that the motto for the business is “you’re never too old to have fun!”
The business hours for Granny’s Liquor will be Monday through Thursday – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and closed on Sundays. The phone number is (507) 467-2700.
Grandma's Garden Transformed:
Granny's Liquor
By Bretta Grabau
Lori Bakke owned Grandma’s Garden in Lanesboro. For 14 years she provided the town with a floral and gift shop that many in the community remember with fondness. Then she closed it. Now, over a year later, Bakke opened her doors once again — this time as a liquor store.
Bakke is a licensed practical nurse in family medicine. She worked with a young practice in Rochester working with newborns and everything surrounding them. But she missed Lanesboro, not to mention the 10 minute commute to work rather than an hour and 20 minutes. “I have been a part of Buffalo Bill Days for years, but last year I realized how much I missed Lanesboro,” she described.
She and her family still owned the building that once was Grandma’s Garden and the apartments above. It was empty, except for a brief stint where a squatter lived there. Even though nothing was in there, Bakke still had to pay taxes on the property and apartments. Just thinking on it makes sense logically to have a business and revenue coming in to help pay for the building.
In January this year, the family made a decision. They would start another business. The problem was to figure out what kind of business. But that’s when everything started coming together.
“I knew the Parkway Pub had sold and that the Hamann’s did not want to keep the off-sale liquor license. So my son thought of a liquor store,” she said. Filling an empty building was just one part of the goal. Generating income was another. Yet another was keeping the business going all-year round. The town already had a number of gift shops, so the liquor store idea was a hit.
Before they implemented it, they did do research, inquiring of other liquor stores in the county such as TJ’s Liquor in Spring Valley and another in Chatfield. In order to continue to be courteous of the Lanesboro community, though, the Bakke’s did not want to end up taking away any business from other shops in town, particularly the saloon.
“I talked to Tony at the saloon about this because I didn’t want to affect his business. He has been very supportive,” Bakke shared. By February renovations were underway. It was a family project. Bakke’s husband and three sons pitched in. One son is especially involved, coming to help her at the store on evenings and weekends.
It’s not a typical liquor store, though. It has a unique, rustic flare contributed by creative decorations. Doors from the Bakke house before renovations, doors mounted on the walls for signs. Windows acting as a blackboard. Old barn wood for a frame and even a door cut out to the exact size needed for an employee’s only entrance in the back. The creativity could not simply stop there.
“I did not want this to be a typical liquor store. I wanted it to have a rustic flare. This building used to be a restaurant,” Bakke noted, relating to the history behind the building and its treasure of a floor.
When Grandma’s Garden occupied the area, the floor was carpeted. During the remodeling to prepare the building for it’s new use as a liquor store, that carpeting was torn up, revealing the original wood floor from the 1870s. It was not perfect and did need repairs. There were holes, parts filled in with plywood and about an inch of crud and glue on the wood. It certainly did not
look like a treasure at first. Now it does, though, thanks to the hard work of Aaron Dybing, who removed the glue and stain to reveal the wood’s natural color. And then there is the bike resting on one of the coolers. Yes, it is a bike — a neat looking, green Rolling Rock bike to be exact — more than six feet in the air on top of a bunch of liquor bottles.
One other interesting difference Granny’s Liquor has from other liquor stores is the display windows. This presented another problem for the Bakkes to figure out how to make the store even more appealing outside. The opening was Thursday, May 7. In the display windows are fun sets of a beer barrel and equipment in one, and in the other sits Granny in her rocking chair. “There’s another side to Granny where she gets crazy in the evening,” Bakke joked.
As of Wednesday, May 13, Bakke had already seen a tremendous response from the Lanesboro community. Residents are excited to see the selection offered at the store — especially when walking into the room in back, Grandpa’s Beer Den. The area is a refrigerated area where once flowers were stored. With the renovations, the area was expanded to where people could walk into it and choose their beer. “Everyone has been so supportive. The community has welcomed me back with open arms. I’ve only been open five days and I already have repeat customers,” she stated. “The B&B’s are excited about having a good selection of wine so close and people are excited that we have such a selection on craft beer.”
As a part of the research the Bakke’s did before opening, she and her son began compiling the marketing plan for the business. There will be a preferred customer list and a senior citizen’s discount on Wednesdays. The goal is to have a special each week.
The name Granny’s Liquor partly came from what the community already knew for that building. “Everyone thinks of this building as Grandma’s Garden, so we kept it Granny’s Liquor,” Bakke mentioned. Granny’s Liquor isn’t just a place to buy liquor. It’s a place to have a good time. There are sodas available and some wine accessories. Plus, and this is where Bakke’s LPN comes in, “Granny” has cookies available for those young families that bring their kids with them to the store.
“It feels good to be here again and support the community. I’m not trying to promote liquor. I’m trying to promote people to have fun,” she said. “I hope this will be a successful business based on customer service. I want to grow with the business and stay here for a long time. I hope my kids will take over too,” she continued. Lanesboro has seen a lot of activity in the past few months with 10 new businesses coming in and new directors of business and tourism. Granny’s Liquor offers a new source for community members and businesses alike. Not to mention the enticing cookies for kids.
Sunday Alcohol Sales
Now Legal in Minnesota
By KTTC Newsroom
LANESBORO, Minn. (KTTC) -Sunday, July 2, marked the beginning of a new era in Minnesota. That’s because a new state law allowing alcohol sales on Sundays took effect.
Since statehood, businesses could only sell liquor Monday through Saturday. But beginning Sunday people are now able to purchase liquor all seven days of the week.
During the 2017 legislative session, the Minnesota House and Senate overwhelmingly approved the Sunday sales bill. The bill got an extra push from House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R) and citizens advocating for the repeal of the Prohibition-era law.
“This new law reflects the the desires of most people in Minnesota,” said Gov. Dayton in March.
The change sparked a lot of mixed emotions from Minnesotans, especially liquor store owners. The cost of staying open seven days a week could outweigh the profits made selling liquor the extra day.
However, Granny’s Liquor in Lanesboro is rising to the challenge.
“It’s the first time ever for Sunday liquor sales. It’s been going crazy. We had a ribbon-cutting at 11 o’clock. The front of the store was completely packed with people and it’s been non-stop ever since. It’s crazy. It’s been something that’s been waiting to happen for a long time so I think everybody was ready for it,” said Lori Bakke, Granny’s Liquor owner.
Liquor stores can operate between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Lanesboro Liquor Store
Celebrates First Sunday Sales
By KAAL
(ABC 6 News) — After a new law allowing liquor sales in Minnesota on Sundays took effect this weekend, customers lined up at Granny’s Liquor in Lanesboro to be among the first to legally purchase alcohol on a Sunday.
Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill in March, allowing liquor stores to open between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays.
While some municipalities like Albert Lea debated whether to repeal their own ordinances prohibiting Sunday liquor sales, Lori Bakke, who owns Granny’s, said she embraced the change.
“I thought, ‘Let’s make a party out of it,'” Bakke said. “So we decided to do the ribbon cutting, sampling with ice cream [and] just giving away a lot of door prizes and just having a lot of fun.”
More than two dozen customers lined up outside Granny’s starting at about 10:30 a.m. to be part of the event.
“We need some beer. We have some campground events today, so big weekend, you know,” Paul Koziolek said.
And in a town known for tourists, Bakke said she expects to do well on Sundays. Often when she’s working in the store on a Sunday, she will have someone come up to the door and try to walk in to make a purchase. For those out-of-state customers, she has to remind them on Saturday to pick up what they’ll need for the weekend, she said.
But if customers flock to the store on Sundays like they did this week, Bakke said they’ll do well, pointing out that this was one of the longest lines of customers she’s seen.
“I wasn’t quite sure that it would be all the way back around the store and into the next aisle, but it’s been a lot of fun and I’m pleased,” she said.
And now liquor store owners like Bakke won’t have to turn away those seeking their Sunday fix.
View video by using link below:
http://www.kaaltv.com/news/lanesboro-liquor-store-celebrates-first-sunday-sales/4531608/