Entrepreneur turns closed eatery into community hotspot
Ellen P. Gabler
Staff Writer
You can't get a Whopper and fries at the old Burger King on West Broadway anymore. Instead, you'll have to settle for an award-winning cup of coffee and a home-cooked waffle-chicken sandwich.
Using the digs of its fast-food predecessor, the Bean Scene is trying to make a name for itself as a safe, community gathering spot, something the area desperately needs, said owner Dean Rose.
"Every neighborhood wants a coffeehouse," he said. "[Residents] wanted some alternative to fast food. They wanted some opportunities to tap into the talents of the artists within the North Side community."
And so the Bean Scene is trying to deliver. It's the only drive-through coffee shop in Minneapolis, Rose said, and has wireless Internet and three computers for customers who want to surf the Web. Local artists can display their work on the walls.
Rose and his father, Bill, bought the boarded-up Burger King in 2002. The family had done business on "the avenue" since 1989 when they purchased Broadway Liquor Outlet. Bill Rose had grown up on the North Side and attended North High School. As an adult, however, he raised his family in Edina.
In 1997, Broadway Liquor's business fell 30 percent after the city closed through-street access on nearby roads in a crime-fighting effort. The Roses thought they might have to move the liquor business across the street to survive, so they bought the Burger King site. A few months later, however, they won a lawsuit against the city and the streets reopened. The old Burger King needed a new plan.
Dean said he considered the input from local community groups and residents before launching the Bean Scene concept. He hired Lynda Baker, a longtime manager at Broadway Liquor, to run the kitchen. A North Side resident her whole life, Baker has turned the coffee shop into a high-quality restaurant. She bakes a mean Mayonnaise cake, and makes sure the local kids don't get out of line.
"I know a lot of the kids. I have the discipline look," Baker said. "And I just look at them."
The entire project cost about $750,000, Rose said. His family's real estate partnership put in 25 percent of the equity, financing the rest through a traditional loan from Franklin Bank and the U.S. Small Business Association.
The shop opened about 18 months ago and is "almost" profitable, Rose said. Local residents and businesspeople regularly hold meetings and special events there. City Council Member Don Samuels packed the place for his PEACE Foundation gathering in March.
Dean said he hopes the Bean Scene will serve as an anchor to West Broadway's redevelopment and inspire other business owners to follow suit.
egabler@bizjournals.com | (612) 288-2106
© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.
