FEATURES The Makin Of: The Hall At FBC

The vision:

An Initial Nudge

"The funny thing is when Fargo Brewing started in 2010, I didn't know any of the owners. I sent them an email just saying that we should consider combining venues like we are here. At the time, they kind of dismissed me and the idea, but then here we are now. At some point later, we started doing events with them in the parking lot and we started handling their anniversary parties that they would have every year in the parking lot. In 2019, I came on board as a partner and bought out two of the founders. At that point, we immediately talked about how we could redevelop the building." - Jade Nielsen, founder & president, Jade Presents

Laying Out The Hall

"When we first started looking at renovating the building, we had a very different initial idea on where people would come in. We worked with three different architects and we ended up working with Chris Hawley on it. He is somebody that has renovated old buildings and he owns buildings that have been renovated as well. So he looks at a space and wonders how can we lay it out differently. Chris kind of gravitated to the natural light on the south side of the building. In creating the patio on the south side, we had always kind of written it off because of the railroad tracks. Once you clean it up with grass and a perimeter fence, it's going to be a great private little space. From there, we knew we had to move the grain room, but we also didn't want to have to change any plumbing or the production area. For the event space, we didn't know initially what we were going to do with it because it used to be offices. I had initially had the idea of doing a barbershop and a tattoo shop in here too. Unfortunately, the tattoo shop that was going to come in opted to open in Moorhead. I think it was initially planned to have a barbershop, tattoo shop, coffee shop, food vendor and a taproom venue. So we really have not deviated from what we planned outside of the tattoo shop. We haven't filled the coffee shop, but part of that is because we're being incredibly picky about what sort of shop we want in there." - Jade Nielsen

What The Space Means For Jade Presents

"For us at JP, we've always wanted to develop more spaces. We're involved in The Sanctuary, Bluestem and The Fargo Theatre, but we don't own those venues. The idea of being able to cultivate something here with the brewery folks just seemed like a good match." - Jade Nielsen

The Event Space

What The Hall Means To Fargo-Moorhead

"I think the word community ties into this space. As we look at designing this space and bringing in different aspects, we want this to be a community, too. Now, we can allow all ages in this space, we can allow parents to come in with kids, Maybe dad has a beer, mom gets a coffee and the whole family orders from the food truck. That aspect sort of ties into what we want to cultivate in our own space. However, we also want to add to the neighborhood. There will be a restaurant going up across the street here and now this corner is really growing into something for the community." - Jade Nielsen

Fargo Brewing Company Taproom

What The Hall Means To Fargo Brewing

"This is something that we've been working towards for years. For all of our employees, music is a very huge influence in our day-to-day. Over the years, we've been kind of building that history of Fargo Brewing and live events. We've done smaller events inside the taproom and stuff like that, but this just gives us a larger venue to be able to put interesting things for ourselves and the rest of the Fargo-Moorhead community." - Zach Click, operations manager, Fargo Brewing

The lounge

The Hall's Impact On FargoMoorhead

"We know that these concerts and the stuff Jade Presents offers are huge assets to our community. Not only people who live in this area, but it brings people to Fargo-Moorhead, too. When people come to town, they're staying at local hotels, going to local restaurants. All of that is bringing a lot more revenue dollars to our city other than just us, right? For us, we always say high tides raise all boats and I think a space like this can help the whole community, not just our business." - Zach Click

Nice Barber Co.

Inception Of A Barbershop

"Part of this whole Nice Barber Co. concept stems from Jade and I discussing just how much life throws at you. It always feels painstaking to do anything and there's never enough time in the day. Wouldn't it be nice where you could go somewhere, get a haircut, grab a bite to eat and grab a beer? But barbershops are no different from any other job because the hours are pretty similar. We thought that we would open a little later and stay open a bit later. There is really not a barbershop like that in Fargo. We understand that you without our customer, we don't have a business, so how about we make that customer experience the best we can?" - Branden Ashmore, owner/barber, Nice Barber Co.

What Customers Can Expect From Nice Barber Co.

"I want people to show up here and I want them to feel like their home. We're all small-town guys here, too. I came from a farming community of 500 people and Jade is from Valley City. We're all from such a small area, that there's a lot of things that the big city changed in our lives. There are little things you forget, but I want people to come to the shop and feel welcome. You don't even have to come in for a cut, just come in and say hi and hang out. We want this to be an old school barbershop feel with some new twists to it." - Branden Ashmore

What The Hall Means To Nice Barber Co.

"I want people to come in here and forget about everything they have going on, I want to make people feel welcome. I want it to feel like running into an old high school friend when you come here. Everybody wants a sense of belonging and I feel like that's something that we'll be able to give. We wanted to incorporate so much of that 'Midwestern nice' upbringing and I think it comes through in our work." - Branden Ashmore

Nova eatery

What Nova Eatery Brings To The Hall

"After years of partnering with our Fargo Brewing Co. friends, we think we’ve developed a pretty good understanding of the variety of different beers they bring to the table. Chef Ryan has worked hard to create a menu exclusive to FBC that will compliment not only the beers but also the relaxed vibe of the space. With a style best described as elevated American comfort food on a rotating food truck sized menu, it is our goal to offer something different to the community and unique to FBC." - Nikki Berglund, co-owner, Nova Eatery.

The Hall's Impact On The Community

"Fargo Brewing is the OG local brewery in these parts and I think the fact that they have operated a successful and increasingly popular business for so long, really speaks to how important they are. Whether you are talking about their original gathering space or the new and improved version, people have always loved the FBC experience and we look forward to being a part of it." - Nikki Berglund

What The Hall Means To Nova Eatery

"We feel so honored that they approached us to partner up with them. We have always valued our friendship and love to collaborate with FBC whenever we are given the opportunity. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us in this new venture." - Nikki Berglund

CHECK IT OUT The Hall At FBC

610 N University Drive, Fargo Grand Opening: April 20, 2021

Let's Talk Snacking

It's that time of the day again. In between meals, but still hungry? Already eaten all of your meals for the day and you're still craving something? That opens the door for that dreaded eightletter word.

S-N-A-C-K-I-N-G

We have all been there, right? In desperate need of something to eat, we reach for the quick fix. Oftentimes, that quick fix turns into an unhealthy decision. I know I have had far too many days where I eat so well and stick to my diet only to pull the ice cream out of the fridge after dinner.

So how can you approach snacking from a healthy perspective? The simple way would be to rid your house of any snack that could be considered unhealthy. While there is nothing wrong with that approach, I feel it may be a bit extreme. As I've stated in the past, it is okay to treat yourself. In fact, I think indulging every once and a while helps keep you on a meal plan. Drowning out your day with the same foods can become extremely dull. Integrating a

sweet or salty treat once or twice a week probably will not harm you (depending on what you're eating). An issue arises when we find ourselves heading to the pantry every evening.

In my view, the best way to approach snacking is by finding healthy alternatives to your unhealthy snacks. Last month, I listed five snacks that can be healthy alternatives. Do you enjoy potato chips after a long day at work? Try substituting Quest brand's protein chips. It may sound crazy, but I prefer those over your typical Dorito, Frito, etc.

In the spirit of snacking, here are five more alternatives to try introducing to your diet this month.

5 MORE HEALTHY SNACKS TO TRY AT HOME

Halo Top Ice Cream

Calories: 100-150 Carbs: 17-19g Fats: 3g Protein: 6-7g

Ice cream is my number one vice in life. I am seriously obsessed with ice cream and I know that I cannot survive without it. Halo Top is an amazing brand (can be found pretty much anywhere in town) that promotes having a healthy alternative to your fattier ice creams. The fat content varies on the flavor (there are some amazing flavors to choose from too. I would suggest red velvet or chocolate mocha chip), but it is significantly healthier than regular ice cream. It also adds a nice dollop of protein which normal ice cream usually does not provide.

Crunchy Chickpeas

Calories: 120 Carbs: 18g Fats: 3g Protein: 6g

An amazing snack that I did not know existed until recently. Comparable to an almond, peanut or cashew, these crunchy chickpeas offer a nice "snacky" feel. However, it has less fat than your nut of choice. It also provides a nice protein kick with naturally occurring carbohydrates.

Dessert Hummus

Calories: 50 Carbs: 9g Fats: 1g Protein: 1g

File this under foods that should be way more popular than they are. In theory, dessert hummus sounds like an odd amalgamation for texture and flavor. With a variety of flavors (dark chocolate, carrot cake, mint chocolate, etc.) available, it can seem too good to be true. Yet, this delightful treat is low in sugar and offers little to no sugar additives. When looking for a healthy dessert, added sugar is one of the big keys. Try this with pretzels or a dippable snack of choice.

Individual Fruit Cups

Calories: 60 Carbs: 15g Fats: 0g Protein: 1g

Yes, you will feel a little "too old for this" when you open up a fruit cup, but think about its versatility. It's portable, which makes it great for a snack at any point of the day. For those who do not like buying fresh fruit, these cups obviously last a while in the pantry too. It's also a quick way to get a serving of fruit in. Be sure to check the added sugars here. Ideally, a good fruit cup will have zero added sugars to it.

Powdered Peanut Butter

Calories: 60 Carbs: 5g Fats: 1.5g Protein: 6g

This one is a little outside the box, but I think it's an intriguing alternative to normal peanut butter. The powdered version has almost 90 percent less fat than your standard peanut butter.

Let me be clear too, I am one of normal peanut butter's biggest fans, so do not think I am discrediting all-natural peanut butter. It's just a known fact that regular peanut butter needs to be consumed in moderation because it is so high in fat. Throw in a few tablespoons of powdered peanut butter in a protein shake or any beverage and you can get all the peanut butter flavor with less guilt.

culinary spotlight

Butter Creations

By Anne

Butter Creations by Anne began with a honey butter recipe so wonderful it needed to be shared. What started out as a Christmas gift for close friends and family grew to a line of products that can now be found in grocery and retail store coolers throughout North Dakota and

Minnesota. Since late 2014, Anne and Adam Adrian have been perfecting their art, creating new flavors and expanding their product’s reach.

Before AllRecipes, Epicurious, New York Times Cooking and the endless blogs online, a recipe had to be tried and true before being written in the family recipe book. That means it was either shared by a loved one, a trusted friend, copied from a cookbook or magazine after being tested, perfected and determined it made the cut. This made it worthy of a page in the book and the use of your best handwriting.

This husband and wife duo can be found buzzing throughout the kitchen and the region sharing their love for honey butter by restocking their numerous wholesale accounts and charming their customers at trade shows. Let’s be real though, it’s not always honey and spice and everything nice having your partner in life be your partner in business, but this couple has found a way to play to each other’s strengths. From Adam’s creative flavor creations (did someone say Prickly Pear Honey Butter?) to Anne’s eye for design and attention to detail, they have found their natural groove and have grown this business from a few jars as gifts to a staple in fridges from Dickinson, North Dakota, to Perham, Minnesota.

A smooth blend of honey, butter and cream with so many flavor options you’ll have to try them all to find your favorite. Adam loves Huckleberry on toast while Anne loves the Original Honey Butter on banana bread and cornbread. Their customers have come up with so many great uses for their products including melting it and topping popcorn, creating an addictive kettle corn-esque treat. Add some Maple Honey Butter to your roasted sweet potatoes or top some ice cream with melted Strawberry Rhubarb and you will not regret it one little bit. It’ll likely be the best decision you made that day.