|
8*an n'rti Daily Dispatch(Minn)Monday April 22,2(102
<br /> ��, r 5 w . 4, ,: z Mon�raV,Apr I�o
<br /> Granny's Cafe is on the corner of DeGraff Avenue
<br /> EOmmun is .41IP -. - .1',- ,.,. " ;',.. -
<br /> and Third Street in downtown Swanville.
<br /> y . ,,,._.ovary Cata ,,I investment
<br /> fy
<br /> 4' . 24rs'----3,4' V,' l';:,4;,„ 1.- , ,,..*:. = ir!,;:rt„ '.,-, .--' -, ,,=.1 ., .. ..,.-:0. :',/.., 7 ...,.
<br /> 1 M;#
<br /> � f, �i. � a � 'a ,p "7 dF-
<br /> 1p y t+: ,rte
<br /> b }
<br /> I . ?� :e . .,
<br /> Granny's Cafe shareholder Bob Koetter(left),future customer Harlan Baum and shareholder Jim Piekarski shared a
<br /> ,-, -,!. ‘e ' - - - - ' z:-....-: :„ .'' '!,'-','-',''.'. '-' .- k_','iii
<br /> few laughs at the Granny's Cafe lunch counter Friday in Swanville.The restaurant,owned by 32 Swanville commu-
<br /> nity members,will open April 29.(Dispatch Photos by Steve Kohls)
<br /> Swanville residents work ,= �x:
<br /> together to rebuild their h°:
<br /> 1-
<br /> gathering place a cafe r.
<br /> SWANVILLE—A small-town Bruce Johnson figured the loss JODIE TWEED
<br /> cafe is a gathering place of sorts,a of a cafe in Swanville was hurting Staff Writer
<br /> place to grab a morning cup of cof many of the small businesses in his
<br /> fee,maybe play some dice and solve
<br /> hometown..,It was easier to drive a
<br /> all the world's problems by noon. few miles frther down the road to So Johnson,Piekarski and Bob
<br /> But the residents of Swanville, Little Falls to grab a bite to eat,go Koetter decided it was up to com-
<br /> pop.351,in Morrison County shopping for groceries and run munity members to build their own
<br /> haven't had a cafe for the past two errands. cafe if a private business owner
<br /> years.after fire destroyed the Why go to Swanville? wasn't gain to do it.In October the
<br /> Corner Cafe on DeGraffAvenue. "I felt it was hurting Swanville men sent letters to 100 people,ask-
<br /> It became a serious problem. to not have a cafe,'said Johnson, ing whether they would be interest-
<br /> The women at the senior center "You gotta get people in town.With esd in investing in a town cafe.They
<br /> served doughnuts and coffee fora no cafe,there was no reason to figured they would need about 30
<br /> onths as a temporary fix, come to town.People would just People W invest$5,000 each.They
<br /> was discontinued.There leave church and leave town. set a date for la.d
<br /> meeting
<br /> was o longer a place to go for "Everybody missed it,"said Jim about the cafe
<br /> breakfast after church on Sundays. Piekarski,who said he spent at "If we would have had 20 people
<br /> nor a place to stop to hear the let- least 24 mornings a month drink- show up we would have been
<br /> est gossip while in town picking up ing his morning coffee at the for-
<br /> a loaf of bread. mer cafe. See CAFE/5A
<br />
|