New owner Krista Jonson said that when she heard The Spot building on Highway 53 was sitting empty, she felt it needed to be reopened.
“It was known for fine dining and its quality of food, and I wanted to bring that back,” Jonson said of the Olson’s successful Spot Firehouse.
“I’ve always wanted to own a business and I am familiar with restaurants, so I thought this would be good.”
She said that she wanted to maintain the same fine-dining experience that she herself enjoyed when she lived here. But she also wanted to add her own personal touches to the decor and menu.
She called the main dining room and accompanying lounge “relaxing” and said that she hopes customers also feel welcome on the outdoor patio with fire pit.
The 25-year-old woman graduated with a degree in business management and sales and marketing.
She is a northern Minnesota native and said she moved to southern Minnesota for school, but could not pass up the opportunity she found at The Spot.
And while she said she is more of a business owner than a chef, she is not afraid to tackle the kitchen, as well.
She said that she tells her cooks what she wants to serve and they create the recipes for her approval.
“I have a wonderful staff, a hard working staff,” she said.
But she said that she fine-tunes the food with her staff and is very involved with the menu.
She said that she chooses dishes based on what she would want to eat if she was a customer. She mentioned her chicken gorganzola pasta as something unique that she wanted on the menu.
Jonson said that the restaurant uses top-grade beef for its steaks and makes all of its own seasonings and sauces.
She said that she has been in the restaurant business for more than 10 years, working as a server and bartender. She also said that her family previously owned a restaurant in the Falls.
Jonson took over in November 2008 and reopened The Spot in February.
That time, she said, was spent cleaning, remodeling and working on a business plan with the Koochiching Economic Development Authority.
She credits the KEDA staff and her bank with giving her sound advice and answering any questions this first-time business owner had.
“I have a lot of good people that guide me,” Jonson said. “Every day I learn something new.”
She said that because of her business education and help from those around her, she has not faced challenges she was not ready for.
Starting this week, the restaurant is opening for lunch, Tuesday through Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jonson said that the lunch menu would resemble the lounge menu and consist of sandwiches, hamburgers, soups and salads.
Happy hour is nightly from 4-6 p.m. The restaurant and lounge are open Tuesday through Saturday evenings.
The Spot will also soon have different specials for each day of the week, Jonson said. But, for that, she said she is looking for community input
“I like to get a feel from what my customers want and I will base my specials on that,” she said. “Feedback is very important.”
