Food & Beer
LET'S EAT! By Dana Melius
SOUTHERN MN STYLE Gathering in downtown Henderson for classic car roll-ins is a city tradition. If you visit, start your evening at the RoadHaus restaurant.
Roll into the RoadHaus
New ownership looks forward to busy summer schedule
D
arrell and Jessica Eckblad have operated a trucking business in Henderson for over 20 years. But when the opportunity arose to purchase the Henderson RoadHaus restaurant, the couple didn’t hesitate. Why? “Basically, it was the right place at the right time,” Darrell Eckblad said. “I don’t like to have a lot of free time on my hands. I’d be so bored if I didn’t have the restaurant.” But there had to be more, right? The bar-restaurant business is tough, often with thin margins and
Photos by Dana Melius labor struggles. And their trucking business had expanded into Florida, where the Eckblads reside for several months of the year due to Darrell’s health battles. Digging deeper, Eckblad saw “a very thriving business” and an opportunity to help a community that has grown into a major smalltown tourist attraction through a busy summer schedule in the scenic Minnesota River Valley. “And I also bought the RoadHaus because I care about the town,” he said. Still, he got a good taste of the
restaurant business earlier in life that provided some confidence to purchase the RoadHaus, which includes two historic downtown buildings and the adjacent Henderson Event Center. “I’ve been taking risks my whole life,” Eckblad said. Henderson’s historic downtown draws thousands every summer to this eastern Sibley County community, as the Classic Car Roll-Ins have become a mustsee attraction for motorcyclists and vintage vehicle enthusiasts. Henderson’s proximity to the Twin
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