The renovated store reopened last week
Rainy Lake One Stop owner Steve Lindberg last month purchased The Loon’s Nest, a convenience store and gas station that was his “friendly competition.”
Now, the two will complement each other, Lindberg said.
“We’ve always been competitive, but friendly competitive,” Lindberg said of himself and former Loon’s Nest owner Bruce Sandbeck. “The Loon’s Nest will continue to be a family business.”
Lindberg’s daughter, Laura Besch, will work full time managing both stores, and Lindberg will continue his full-time job at Shannon’s Inc.
“Laura grew up around Rainy Lake One Stop, studying her late mother’s management style,” Lindberg said. “My daughter and son-in-law are an important part of the stores. We thought with the volume of things we offer, having two stores would just complement each other.”
To give the Loon’s Nest a new look, Lindberg, Laura and her husband Jesse, renovated the store, located on Highway 11 East. The convenience store has been rebranded to a Cenex Station, and new pumps have been installed to offer the option to pay at the pump with a credit card. The store will have a wider selection of bait during the fishing season.
“We’re already buying bait, so buying for both stores makes sense — we pick them up from the trappers and transport it,” Lindberg said. “It’s a very time-consuming and exhausting process, but that’s a huge part of the business.”
The same business principles at Rainy Lake One Stop will be applied to The Loon’s Nest, Lindberg noted.
The store, which reopened last week, will operate seven days a week, open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. all year.
Lindberg envisions The Loon’s Nest, like his other store, to be a “place where everyone feels welcome,” he said.
The two stores will cater to both the local and summer tourist population, and Lindberg and Laura Besch said The Loon’s Nest is a smaller version of Rainy Lake One Stop, and “mirrors” it.
The family has expanded grocery selection at The Loon’s Nest and its assortment of fishing items. The weekly stocked grocery selection at The Loon’s Nest offers a convenience to local people who live in the area, and fishing poles, bait and souvenirs offers something for tourists.
“We don’t have the room here to have everything that Rainy Lake One Stop offers. The Loon’s Nest is more for the quick needs, day-to-day supplies,” Lindberg said.
The coffee club mug, which will now be sold at both locations with free coffee refills, has an added convenience now that The Loon’s Nest will be operated by the same owner.
“You can get coffee at One Stop, and on your way into town, stop and refill your cup at Loon’s Nest,” Lindberg said with a smile.
Jesse Besch said he was excited to be part of the process of revamping the convenience store.
“Basically seeing the process of starting something up, it makes you appreciate it a lot more,” Besch said. “It makes you realize what goes into it.”
Laura Besch added she is eager to work with the customers.
“There’s a One Stop customer base and a Loon’s Nest customer base — having different people come around, and seeing people’s faces when they come into the new store and what we’ve done is exciting,” she said.
Their challenge is setting themselves apart from other gas stations, Lindberg said. Customers who leave International Falls and drive to Rainy Lake would be inconvenienced if they chose to stop at The Loon’s Nest and didn’t find what they were looking for, adding a trip back in the other direction, he said.
“We can’t really succeed by default,” Lindberg said. “Obviously, it’s a good location. But everybody stops at every other store in town; to come out here, they have to know we consistently have what they need in stock. That’s what we hope to carry on here, having people know they can depend on us.”
The business owner added that prices at The Loon’s Nest will match those at Rainy Lake One Stop.
“It’s exciting to be able to grow in this economy,” Lindberg said. “We’ve had modest growth through the years, and now we’re growing a whole other market, from a local standpoint. We’ve seen the customer base of people who live out the lake. Now we get to see them stop here as they drive to town.”
