Car wash is clean and green 2A Culver’s owners connect with community 9A Brunswick Zone XL is super-sized fun 40A
DERRICK WILLIAMS JESSICA HARPER STACEY ACKERMAN
dakotacountytribune.biz dakotacountytribune.biz
DATE ##, 2009 JANUARY 7, 2010
VOLUME 30, NUMBER # VOLUME 30, NUMBER 45
Dakota County Tribune Since 1884
B
U
S
I
N
E
S
S
w
e
e
k
More than an ‘ugly’ coffee shop
y
INSIDE BIZ FORUM
Transit opt-outs should be allowed to maintain local control of bus routes in their respective geographic regions. TAD 4A JOHNSON
The Ugly Mug in Farmington is focusing on sandwiches and live music by Stacey Ackerman DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
The Ugly Mug in Farmington offers much more than coffee. While people often think it is a coffee shop, The Ugly Mug considers itself more of a quick restaurant, competing with other sandwich shops that are more than coffee shops. Owners Jeff and Melinda Blansit moved to Farmington from San Antonio, Texas, due to a job transfer. When Blansit was still living in corporate housing, he frequently visited The Ugly Mug and found it to be a great part of the community. In 2005 the Blansits purchased The Ugly Mug. The previous owner was anxious to sell and the establishment was faced with many problems such as inconsistent hours and unavailable menu items. The first thing the Blansits did was to redo the menu and add more sandwiches. Grilled Rachels and reubens are among the most popular today. The establishment also offers soups and salads, a kid’s menu, smoothies, ice cream, bakery items, teas, coffee drinks and beer and wine. Its goal is to be a family-oriented establishment; therefore they’ve deliberately declined a full Photo by Rick Orndorf spirits license. The Ugly Mug in Farmington offers coffee “If we sold coffee alone we would starve to along with other warm and cold drinks, indeath,� Jeff Blansit said. “The location we’re in cluding beer and wine. and the community here wouldn’t have enough traffic to build a business.� The restaurant has become a popular week- wedding for a couple who enjoys hanging out end hangout, hosting local live musicians every at The Ugly Mug. The Ugly Mug has faced some confusion Friday and Saturday night. On the third Thursday of every month, they among customers with its name. There is also hold an open jam where musicians can get a an Ugly Mug in Minneapolis, which is a sports bar rather than chance to be a family-oriheard at a venue. ented hangout. The jam sessions The Ugly Mug is located in the Farmington Jeff BlanMarket Place at 18450 Pilot Knob Road. It attract everyone can be reached by calling (651) 462-84 sit has held his from neighborwww.theuglymug.biz full-time job as hood teens to an engineer at professional muEcolab for the sicians. The jam night has become so popular that last four years while also being an active owner it may expand to additional nights. The Ugly at The Ugly Mug. He opens the shop every morning at 6:30 Mug has even had musicians come in from as a.m., comes back every night to close, and is far as Australia asking to use their facility. In addition to music, the establishment is there every Friday night and all day Saturday also a home for business meetings, birthday and Sunday. “It really is a labor of love,� he said. “It’s a parties, political meetings and forums and community groups. It even closed once to hold a completely different environment than my oth-
l
FORUM
Columnist predicts that the legion of gubernatorial candidates will cause a great budget and bonding bill mess. PHIL 4A KRINKIE BEST PRACTICES
Great leaders know how to exercise humility in victory and in dealing with the responsibility of power. JEFF 5A APPELQUIST BUSINESS 101
Crowdsourcing can be used to turn a small entrepreneurial idea into a worldwide phenomenon. ERIN 6A EDLUND
In Brief
+&//: 800%4 "/ 45"$&: "$,&3. "/%3&8 .*--&3
" PG QSPN PUJPOT FQSFOFV S " " OFX A'SPOUJFS UFTUT ZP VOH FOUS " 5ISFBET *OLT S FOUFSUB JONFOU B (SBOE 4MBN GP
70-6 .&
/6. #&3
USJCVOF CJ[
EBLPUBDPVOUZ
4JODF
#
6
4
*
/
&
4
4
X
F
F
L
M
!""'! !
$
General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Advertising 952-846-2011
See Ugly Mug, Page 7A
Interested in a FREE subscription?
une Dakota County Trib )JUUJOH
"6(6 45
&
er job, so it’s a good balance of what I do during the day.� Melinda Blansit is a nurse, but quit her job to work at the restaurant during the day, and she is often there when Jeff is. “We wildly underestimated the work. The
Z
*/4*%& #*;
'036.
5IF -FHJTMBUVSF DPVMEO U CBMBODF B CVEHFU UIF HPWFSOPS DPVME 0, CVU UFOEFE UP PUIFS IPU UPQJDT 1)*,3*/,*&
"
#64*/&44
EVSFT EF TBMPO FO 8 IJMF GBET GB
" NFOUPS DBO IFMQ B ZPVOH XPSLFS SJTF UISPVHI UIF SBOLT PG BO PSHBOJ[BUJPO PS MFBE UP PUIFS DBSFFS PQQPSUVOJUJFT
)"30-% " 5033&/$& TLJMMT UISPVHI BOE EFWFMPQJOH UIFJS %T 5*$&4 UIF #&45 13"$ SFBEJOH WJEFPT BOE $ BMTP DSFBUFE ,OPXJOH UIF 5IF DPNQBOZ XIJDI FO EJGGFSFODF CFUXFFO 4UBS 5ISPXFS QSPHSBN H BOE QSPGFT BEWFSUJTJOH BOE IBODFT TFMG MFBSOJO OU 5FBN NFN QVCMJD SFMBUJPOT TJPOBM EFWFMPQNF E UP BUUFOE DBO IFMQ CVTJOFTTFT CFST BSF FODPVSBHF JEF FWFOUT UP DSFBUF CV[[ UIBU JOEVTUSZ BOE OBUJPOX XPSLT FN TUBZ BCSFBTU PG USFOET TFWFSBM IBT DLFSNBO 45"$&: " CZ 4UBDFZ " $PMF T 4BMPO JUI UIF DPN /5: 53*#6/& / %",05" $06 "$,&3." QMPZFFT XIP WF CFFO XVTF UIFZ LFFQ $PMF T GPVOEFS PG QBOZ GPS ZFBST CFDB UISPVHIPVU %PVH $PMF 4U 1BVM #BSCFS 5*$&4 HSPXJOH #&45 13"$ MFBSOJOH BOE 4BMPO BUUFOEFE FSF IF MFBSOFE 1JYBS QSPNPUFT UIFJS DBSFFST CFFO BMM * OFFE UP 4DIPPM BU BHF XI IJT MPOHUJNF 3JFOUT B DVMUVSF PG i$PMF T IBT TVDDFTTGVM BOE CF GSPN +FSSZ DPNNVOJDBUJPO BU NBLF NZ MJGF VSQIZ B NFOUPS XPSLT UIBU SFBQT U UIF GVMGJMMFE w TBJE +BOFM . 5PEBZ 3JFOUT MPO BT B CBS 4BMPO WFUFSBO i"BCPVU JOOPWBUJPO BOE SOEPSG GPS ZFBS $PMF T 1IPUP CZ 3JDL 0 $PMF T "QQMF 7BMMFZ TB * GFFM HPPE QSPmUT JO IBT CFFO EPJOH VFT PO 5JN FOE PG UIF EBZ CFS XIJDI IF PPE w OUT DPOUJO NPWJF NBLJOH 5SJTI .FMJTTB )BOT NBLJOH PUIFST GFFM H IBT UIF QBTU ZFBST 3JF +&'' O IBT HSPXO UISPVHI " IJQ GSPN MFGU -BVSB JTI 4UPSIPGG GPS $PMF BOE $PMF T 4BMP OVSUVSJOH FNQMPZ *45 UP CF B NFOUPS UIF MBTU GPVS EF $PMF T 4BMPO MFBEFST BS 5PVSUJMMPUU BOE 5S "11&-26 CZ GPS QMFT w /VH UIF ZFBST JOTQJSFE IJN B MPZBM DMJFOUFMF $PMF %PVH $PMF $I PZ BOE QSJODJ UIF (PMEFO BOE CVJMEJOH FFO TFFJOH UIF DBEFT IBT UBVHIU IJT FNQM IBU $PMF TUBSUFE FNQMPZFFT FFT FE IJT GJSTU $PMF T 4B XBT UIJOH $PMF MBTU ZFBST BOE JT X D HFUT QSPHSBN JO XIJDI OVH .BOZ DMJFOUT IBWF C M ZFBST $PMF PQFO JO *U UP XSJUF FFT GPS UIF TJOFTTFT TV TBNF TUZMJTU GPS TFWFSB F LFFQT NF MPO JO #VSOTWJMMFTPVUI PG UIF SJWFS BSF DIBMMFOHFE NFS TFSWJD IF BUUSJCVUFT UP IJT CV UIF POMZ TBMPO TFSWJDFE UIF FO HFUT JO TJY NPOUIT BSF QVUUJOH i5IF DVTUP TBJE 5SJTI 1FSLJOT UIBU DFTT $PMF PQFOFE i(PMEFO OVHHFUT *U JT DPNJOH CBDL w 7BMMFZ TBMPO BU UIBU UJNF IF MBUF T *O %PVH BU UIF "QQMF JO PVS NJOE 4PVUIEBMF TJDB UJSF GBNJMZ %VSJOH U JOH BOE JU XBT #BSCFS BU HPPE UIJOHT TFMG UBML BOE TFMG B DMJFOU FFO TFFJOH TUZMJTU +FT $IJMESFO T BU BHF FMZ QPTJUJWF XIP IBT C #VSOTWJMMF XBT CPPN Z GPS $PMF UP F ZFBST MBUFS POF BCPVU ZFBST i5IFZ EFGJOJU JMM Z BOE .BMM 5ISF B QFSGFDU PQQPSUVOJU UIPVHIU w $PMF TBJE UIF TBMPO CFDBVTF FNQMPZFFT 4UBQG GPS BU ZPV XBOU +FTTJDB X w DPNNVOJU DMPTFE $PMF T PG IF UIF I POF IFZ DBUFS UP XI FF[F NF JO HSPX XJUI &WFSZ FNQMPZFF XBT UPP NVD * EJEO U JT HJWFO B OPUFCPPL JO XIJDI U T UBLF NZ DBMMT BOE TRV HFE JO UIF SBJTF IJT PXO GBNJMZ QBOZ XJMM BHF UP BGGJSNBUJPO CFS UIF DPN 8IJMF B MPU IBT DIBO Z i'SPN I XBT EFUSJNFOUBM UP NZ XSJUF EPXO QPTJUJWF UIF DPN (FOFSBM 5IJT 0DUP F XJMM SFDFJWF NF UP PWFS ZFBST ZFBS BOOJWFSTBS MFBSO XIJD %JTUSJCVUJPO FODPVSBHFE DFMFCSBUF JUT DVSSFOUMZ PQFSBUFT FWFSZ EBZ TVDI BT i8 i)BCJUT MFBWF CVTJOFTT U DIBOHFE JUT DPSF WBMVFT CVTJOFTT +FSSZ UZ FMJFWFw BOE "EWFSUJTJOH S B EBZ w $PMF QBOZ IBTO 5IF CVTJOFTT OTWJMMF "QQMF TUBSU MFBSOJOH BO IPV CFHJOOJOH XIBU XF C GSPN USVTU BOE IPOFT 4BWBHF IBT B XIJDI TUFNUT PG iHSPXJOH ZPVSTFMG w UIF WFSZ GJWF TBMPOT o JO #VS B USBJM w 4BMPO BMTP JO &BHBO BOE $PMF TBJE i'SPN B MFBSOJOH DVMUVSF 7BMMFZ UXP &BDI $PMF T XIFSF FNQMPZFFT BOE DPOTJT 4FF $PMF T 1BHF " XF FTUBCMJTIFE UP CFUUFS FNQMPZFFT o BOE IBT MFBSOJOH MFBSOJOH MJCSBSZ IJT MPDBUJPOT HSPVOEFE JO UIF EFTJSF F WBMVF UP PVS BSF FODPVSBHFE UP LFFQ TUSPOH IBT QVSQPTFGVMMZ LFQU WBMVFT SJWFS UP GPSN PVSTFMWFT QSPWJEF USV MJWF CZ PVS TPVUI PG UIF DVTUPNFST BOE DPNNVOJUZ UJFT O IPVS B EBZ JT TPNF -FBSOJOH B
(+* +)
$PMF T 4BMPO DFMFCSBUFT ZFBST
F JUJPO POMJO VS EJHJUBM FE ta County Tribune Dako
$IFDL PVU P
QBHF in JQw UP UIF OFYU LT UP UIF ST PG UIF QBHFT UP [PPN JO 5IF MJOG UIF QBHF $MJDL PO DPSOF PUUPN P PQ PG BOZ QBHF UP $MJDL PO UIF U C 4JUFT XJMM BQQFBS BU UIF C PVS FTT $MJDL PO "EWFS UJTFS 8F QBSUJDVMBS CVTJO -PPLJOH GPS B FY BU UIF UPQ PG UIF QBHF "EWFS UJTFS *OE FZ XPSE 4FBSDIBCMF CZ L
&44 8
&&,-:
#64*/ #VSOTWJMMF CJ[ $P 3E PVOUZ5SJCVOF XXX %BLPUB$ "%7&35*4*/(
Just complete this form and mail it to: Attention: Subscriptions Dakota County Tribune 12190 County Road 11 Burnsville, MN 55337 or fax to: 952-846-2010
__________________________________________________ _____________________________ BUSINESS NAME
ATTENTION
________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS
________________________________________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP
__________________________________________________ _____________________________ SIGNATURE
DATE
________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL