KROX talked with Mark Erickson, owner of Erickson Smokehouse Bar and Grill and Bekka from Opdahl’s Donuts in Fertile on Tuesday to see how they were going to continue service after Governor Tim Walz announced the closure of restaurants and bars in-dining.
Mark Erickson seemed pretty upbeat and told and said he plans to continue offering takeout orders to his customers. “The main thing is to continue to sell some food and push stuff out,” said Erickson. “I am concerned about my employees and making sure they are getting enough hours and all there stuff is taken care of because I need them when things get back to normal.” Erickson’s Smokehouse will be running 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, reducing the hours of operation just a bit. The off-sale will still be open. “We are going to keep a full menu and hopefully this is something we look back on in three months and say, well that wasn’t so bad and we are on our way and keep going,” said Erickson. “I would like to thank the customers for coming out and patronizing Erickson’s and be patient with us through this process because we are all in this together and hopefully it all works out and everything is good.”
Erickson also hosts meetings and does a lot of catering and they have lost some of the business. “There is quite a bit,” said Erickson. “I received three calls Monday that were scheduled for catering and were calling to cancel. Most of those will come back because they are customer appreciations or events to be rescheduled. He said it’s nice to have those this time of year because it is a slower time.” Erickson’s Smokehouse full menu will be available and you can call 218-945-6806 for your takeout orders.
Opdahl’s Donuts in Fertile has an eat-in area to enjoy the great baked goods along with a cup of coffee. “We are still planning to make all the baked goods and have the shelves full,” said Bekka. “We will continue with the daily specials, including pie day, but you will have to take it with you and if you want us to meet you at the curb we can do that for you.” To call ahead for take-out and curbside pickup, give Opdahl’s a call at 218-945-6400. When asked if this would affect her employees, Bekka said, “Not a whole lot. It will probably affect the students from the high school the most. The rest of the employees will be working their regular schedule and hopefully, we keep busy enough and keep going until all of this subsides.”
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