Food & Beer
LET'S EAT! By Dana Melius
SOUTHERN MN STYLE
Poppy’s Pizza:
At 25, Dane Burton ventures into pizza business Dane Burton of Poppy’s Pizza in Winthrop says “I absolutely love working with pizza.”
F
or Dane Burton, it’s been “an act of redemption” opening up his own pizza business in his hometown of Winthrop. Burton dropped out of high school following his freshman year, then struggled again during a stint at a New Ulm-based alternative education district. But he never lost sight of his passion to cook. And he also remembered those who never gave up on him. “He’s always wanted to have his own pizza place,” said his older sister, Christina Hopp, who now serves as manager at Poppy’s Pizza on Main & 19 in Winthrop, which opened in February 2021. Hopp’s management allows Burton to focus on his pizza ideas and the food side of the business. “I absolutely love working with pizza,” Burton said. “It’s fun. And having customers repeat makes it even funner.” Making a good go of it all during the height of the COVID pandemic pleased Burton as well. “Some people wondered if it was smart to open at that time. But I’m young enough to risk it.” Still just 25, Burton has years of restaurant experience behind him, including 3½ years as assistant manager at Turner Hall in New Ulm. Burton also previously worked for Domino’s and the Green Mill in New Ulm. Burton considered a slight career move, getting an offer in food management at the local nursing care facility. But when the opportunity arose to open up a restaurant in the heart of his hometown, Burton 68 • JULY 2022 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
jumped at it. Plus, a brief stint in construction work convinced him that cooking remained his passion. Dave and Laurie Trebelhorn, former owners of the popular Dave’s Place in Lafayette, invested into a former convenience store location on Highway 19, the east-west drive through Winthrop. They then provided some mentoring to Burton and are now leasing the facility to him. One pizza dish, “The Great Dave,” is Dave’s creation, served with red sauce, Canadian bacon, pineapple and sauerkraut. Burton also named several other pizza items after special people in his life, including former GFW instructor Scott Robinson, now teaching at St. Peter Public Schools. It’s “Rob’s Chicken Bacon Ranch,” with a ranch-based sauce, topped with grilled chicken, bacon, spinach, fresh tomato and cheddar cheese. Another menu item, “Kristi’s Chicken Philly,” is named after one of his favorite instructors at River Bend Education District in New Ulm. “I was sometimes my worst enemy, but Scott and Kristi never gave up on me, even though I did at times,” Burton said. He also named a couple of dishes after local Winthrop friends, Nic Blumhoefer and Lois Schmidt. But Burton says his most popular menu item is “The Thunderbird,” named after the GFW High School mascot. It’s the supreme pizza at Poppy’s Place, with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, green peppers, black and green olives, onions,
