BESTBEST BEST BEST

We asked, you answered: HERE ARE THE WINNERS of the

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This year marks Southwest News Media’s sixth year of celebrating local businesses with our “Best of the Best” readers’ choice contest. This print edition publicly honors those chosen as being the “best” in the south metro area and is a fun read for those of you who voted and want to see how your favorites fared.

Best of the Best 2023 Fun Facts

•33,930 votes cast in 2023.

•The top categories for number of nominations received were “Best Restaurant” and “Best Bar.”

•New category added in 2023: “Best Local Employer,” with 18 local businesses nominated.

•The largest number of votes cast by age bracket was those for ages 35-44.

•More than 70 percent of all voters were female.

•The top community participation, based on the zip codes of participants, were: 1. Shakopee, 2. Prior Lake, 3. Chaska.

Southwest’s Best of the Best contest was originally started to highlight local businesses that support our communities, pay taxes and add convenience to the lives of area residents. We’ve seen many changes in our local business communities in the past few years. Some stores have been forced to close due to the challenges brought on by Covid-19, but we’ve also seen many new businesses open their doors and are now thriving.

The good news: Local residents seem to be much more vocal in support of local businesses, and there is a greater realization about their importance to the community.

“At Southwest News Media, we recognize and honor the work that goes into building a company and showing consistent growth,” said Southwest News Media’s General Manager, Laurie Hartmann. “It is great to see residents doing more of their shopping and dining locally, and then talking to others about good service, great food and the convenience offered by our local business communities.”

Some businesses honored in this edition were nominated for the first time. Many are returnees to the top 10 listing in a particular category. More than 1,100 businesses were nominated in 78 categories, and close to 34,000 votes were cast in the three-week online voting period that was open from Feb. 6-26.

Main categories included: food & beverage, local services, education, health & wellness, and lifestyle. Once nominated, the business automatically appeared on the ballot in the appropriate category. Any business located within the communities served by Southwest News Media (Chaska, Chanhassen, Victoria, Carver, Shakopee, Jordan, Belle Plaine, Prior Lake and Savage) were eligible to be nominated.

As was the case in previous “Best” contests, food and beverage categories proved to be the most popular and generated the most collective votes. “Best Restaurant” and “Best Bar” tied for the categories garnering the most nominations. Dental practices proved to be the most popular in the Health and Wellness group. Residents also showed loyalty for their favorite auto care establishments and hair stylists, which tied for most nominations in the local services category.

“As in years past, this is a fun way to showcase our local businesses and the good they do for our communities,” Hartmann said. “They enhance the quality of life for local residents and add to a city’s identity by becoming a destination for the area.”

Best of the Best will be back in 2024. Congratulations to all of the businesses nominated. Thank you to our readers who voted and for your continued support of our local businesses!