Steve Hogen
cottage grove, MN (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
the y bar / grill / liqour st
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Startup
Location:
Garrison
Industry:
Entertainment
Year Founded:
1979
Number Employees:
10-50 people
Description:
This Bar / restaurant/liquor store is located in a year round resort town in north-central Minnesota. Some of the summer activities that people do while in the area are water sports such as fishing, water skiing, swimming and boating. In the fall duck hunting, bear hunting, deer hunting and fishing are very popular. In the winter, ice fishing and snowmobiling attract large volumes of people to the area, not to mention thousands of cabins, resorts, campgrounds and sight sightseers. Included in the deal with the bar/restaurant/liquor store, is 200 feet of prime lake shore, which butts up to a public boat landing on one of Minnesota’s premier lakes.
To attract more business, I envision a boat dock near the public boat ramp. I would encourage boaters to tie up to the dock while getting ready to enter or exit the lake, where they could then easily walk the 75 yards to buy refreshments from the liquor store or the restaurant before or after using the lake, people could even be on the lake all day, tie up to my dock and come in for cold refreshments and good food and then return to the lake, without having to drive anywhere.
The building is big enough that with a little rearranging more space could be yielded to add attractions such as a stage for live music and a dance floor. The “y” has been around for a very long time and has a huge following. I think if I can update the building a-little and make the “y” more of a fun place to go to meet friends, relax, get cold refreshments and good food, the “y” could be successful for a very long time.
Because this location lies in the “y” of a two lane highway and is only a stones throw away from Lake Mille-Lacs and the town of Garrison, it is accessible from virtually any direction, not only is it easy to get into but it is easy to get out of the lot as well.
I believe that by offering a nice, fair priced, sit down restaurant along with a clean small town bar/liquor store with fantastic views of the lake that people will frequent the establishment and return many times throughout the year. I believe that by rearranging and updating the space just a-little, the “y” would become more of a destination for people to go and have fun, meet friends, enjoy good food and refreshments.