May 15, 2006
St. Clair Broiler Turns 50
The St. Clair Broiler, a distinctive St. Paul restaurant on the corner of St. Clair and Snelling turns 50 this week.
Posted by kevin at 8:43 AM | TrackBack
December 2, 2005
Roseville Barnes & Noble Closing
I'm still not sure why this is such big news, but the Roseville Barnes & Noble is closing. No, not the giant Har Mar store with the cafe, music section and one of only a handful of used sections in the country. It's the Rosedale Marketplace store located across the street from Rosedale Mall.
When it opened in 1990 it was the first Barnes & Noble "superstore" outside New York. But only five years later the Har Mar store opened, less than two miles away and three times the size (14,000 square feet vs. 44,000). It's a wonder the smaller store lasted as long as it did.
Posted by kevin at 7:55 AM | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
Napping at the Mall of America
Now you can shop 'till you drop at the Mall of America, literally. You can pay 70 cents per minute to nap at the new MinneNAPolis store, which offers three themed rooms for napping.
Mall officials said the store would stick to a strict one person per room policy, so no bright ideas.
I'm not sure who would pay $42 to take a one-hour nap, but there it is. The Mall of America now has everything.
Posted by kevin at 7:53 AM | TrackBack
July 17, 2005
Wrapping Buses & Trains in Advertising
Ever wonder how the Metro Transit buses or light rail cars get completely wrapped in advertising? The Star Trib gives the details of the 20 hour process. Of course they neglect to mention how much Metro Transit makes for wrapping a bus or light rail car. They do make $2.5 million per year in advertising, with $130,000 coming from the light rail line in the last 12 months.
Posted by kevin at 9:08 PM | TrackBack
June 2, 2005
Pulse Covers 2024's David Campbell
The Pulse of the Twin Cities has a nice profile of Dave Campbell, a Twin Cities local music guru who now works with 2024 Records, home of the Olympic Hopefuls, Romantica and other cool local bands. (link via MNspeak)
Posted by kevin at 9:11 AM | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Twin Cities: Best Place to Start a Business
Forbes magazine has ranked Minneapolis/St. Paul as number 18 on their list of best places to start a business. Apparently we've got good "educational attainment" but a fairly high cost of living. So far it's worked for me. (link via MNSpeak)
Posted by kevin at 2:32 PM | TrackBack
May 9, 2005
Bethel University Named Best Christian Workplace
Bethel University in Arden Hills was named one of the best Christian places to work in the higher education (300 or more employees) category as reported by Christianity Today. My wife works for Bethel and I'm not sure if she'd agree or not (though working off campus probably has an impact), but I for one appreciate their no-tuition plan for employees. Putting my wife through grad school couldn't be easier.
Posted by kevin at 1:05 PM | TrackBack
May 2, 2005
Minor League Ball, Major League Business
Newsweek covers the booming business of minor league baseball, which owes a major tip of the hat to actor Bill Murray and his fellow co-owners of the St. Paul Saints, one of the teams that started the minor league turnaround.
The charm of attending a Saints game is what it's all about. The smaller, more personable stadium lets the sun shine down on the field like it's supposed to, a far cry from the astroturf and indoor lighting of the Twins and their Metrodome. Then there's the goofy between innings antics and the announcer who deadpans, "Train" every time a train rumbles by the outfield fence, which happens several times a game. It's baseball the way it's supposed to be.
Posted by kevin at 8:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 29, 2005
Independent Bookstore Bound to be Read Closing
Another Twin Cities' independent bookstore bites the dust as Bound to be Read on Grand Ave. in St. Paul is closing their doors. The store opened in 2001 and claimed to be the Twin Cities' largest independent bookstore. They'll close for good on July 27.
Last year Ruminator Books, which operated on Grand Ave. for 34 years, closed. A branch of Best Buy's EQ-Life, a spa/pharmacy/retail store, will take over Bound to be Read's lease.
Posted by kevin at 8:19 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack