4 minute read
Jeni Bobholz
from Women
The Circle Inn spins new ways of doing business
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By Rachael Hanel | Submitted photos
Jeni Bobholz bought North Mankato’s iconic The Circle Inn in January 2019. She had just made it through the first year and looked forward to settling into a nice routine.
“Going into the second year, we were hopeful. We were like, ‘We got through this first year.’ Then on St. Patty’s Day, we were shut down.” The pandemic forced The Circle, and all other bars and restaurants, to nearly grind to a halt. But Bobholz considers herself a creative person and quickly found ways to adapt.
“I could have easily had a woe-is-me, depressing mindset but I put on my big girl pants. You have to reassure yourself that this is not your fault,” she says.
Nate LeBoutillier, aka Nate Boots, has played music at The Circle for many years. He says he’s been struck by Bobholz’s can-do attitude in the last year.
“I admire her so much because she’s always moving forward. You gotta keep stuff alive,” he says.
Throughout the summer on Fridays, The Circle worked with food provider Sysco for pop-up sales of frozen items, in quantities geared toward families. Bobholz also used the ample space in the parking lot for outdoor seating in the fall, up until Thanksgiving when bars and restaurants were closed again. During that time, Bobholz focused on off-sale liquor and pivoted to selling things like Advent calendars—anything to keep the
money flowing in.
But she also saw how many nonprofits were hurting, too, with avenues for usual fundraisers blocked. Sales at The Circle helped raise money for organizations such as the North Mankato Fire Department and Girls on the Run.
“We used our platform on social media to let people know that if they could donate, it would really help. I was really glad we were able to do that,” she says.
Greater Mankato Growth recognized Bobholz’s commitment to the community and named her 2020 volunteer of the year. She is also president of Business on Belgrade.
LeBoutillier says Bobholz is a strong presence in lower North Mankato. People look up to her, especially his 14-year-old daughter. “Jeni is one of my daughter’s role models.”
Live music has started at The Circle again on Saturdays, held outdoors. No one has been inside The Circle since March 2020, even though technically Bobholz is allowed to have people inside. But it’s a small space, primarily a bar with only frozen pizza available for food. It’s not the kind of place that supports a quick turnover of tables. When people go there, they want to stay a while.
“You have to do what is right. You have to sit there, you can’t be-bebop from place to place. I didn’t want to have to police customers or make them mad. You have these rules now. We want it to be fun. The outdoors is a lot more lax in that situation and it’s worked for us,” Bobholz says.
LeBoutillier says he’s appreciated how Bobholz has conducted business during the pandemic.
“One thing I like about how Jeni has handled whole pandemic is that she’s always put safety first. I always feel like she’s making good decisions.”
The Circle has found a wider customer base in the past year.
“People came out of the woodwork. People who couldn’t come down before because they had kids at home or were otherwise busy, now they are supporting the heck out of us. It makes you reassess how you do business and where you can find new customers,” Bobholz says.
Bobholz says her family and friends also stepped up to support her during the last year. “As crappy as the whole thing has been, a lot of positives have happened.”
She sums up the past year with an understatement: “It’s been one hell of a ride.”
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