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Saturday, September 13, 2008
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One man's dream turns into Breezy restaurant
Senior Reporter BREEZY POINT - Giant yellow smiley face cookies filled a tray in the bakery beneath row upon row of M&M cookies.
The cookies and nearby display cases filled with assortments of rolls are part of recent additions to Birchwood of Breezy, the restaurant and bar on County Highway 11 that opened about a year ago.
On the other side of the bakery is a deli counter with a robust display of olives and deli foods and nearby seating area. Birchwood added the bakery in May and opened the deli in July. The restaurant has two eating areas, one dining room seats 65 and a second lounge area with games, such as pool and arcade offerings, bar and dance floor and weekend DJ seats more than 70.
Fran Stanley, general manager, describes Birchwood as family friendly and affordable. She said the games keep the kids busy.
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Birchwood of Breezy restaurant and bar added a bakery and deli. The restaurant, with dining room and lounge, opened about a year ago along County Highway 11 between Breezy Point and Pequot Lakes near the Breezy Point Ice Arena. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
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The restaurant was the passion of the late Jerry Pierson, who owned the Commander restaurant and bar in Breezy Point. Pierson died in February. Clarice Blaeser said her late husband always wanted to get back into the restaurant business. Pierson thought the area residents and the nearby campground and ice arena would be good draws for the restaurant. He hoped to get some card players, but they didn't materialize.
"It was his dream," Blaeser said quietly while seated at a table in the restaurant's lounge early on a weekday morning. Pierson's specialty was taking rundown establishments and bringing them back to life. At one time he had seven restaurants in North and South Dakota. Birchwood was the first time he started with a restaurant from the ground up. It was a whole new adventure.
"I think he missed being with people," Stanley said of Pierson. "You meet so many nice people and every day is different."
Pierson was the founder. A group of area investors, who came on as owners, helped provide the backing. Blaeser is one of the owners. She described the investor group as being made up largely of working individuals, such as plumbers and carpenters. Blaeser said Stanley, who came on board the spring before the restaurant opened for business, has been her right hand.
The restaurant also provides orders to go and makes their own pizzas with fresh dough. Signature items include broasted chicken and hot pork or beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $5.25. Birchwood has appetizers, a multitude of sandwiches from grilled chicken breast to thinly sliced roast beef, pasta, fries, salads, prime rib, sirloin steak, shrimp and lobster.
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Fran Stanley, general manager at Birchwood of Breezy, stood in the restaurant's lounge, which has a variety of games from pool to arcade offerings that is separate from the dining room. Additionally, there is an outdoor patio seating area. The restaurant includes a bar and dance area and weekend DJ. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
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Buffet dining options are offered on specific nights such as a pizza buffet on Wednesdays and chicken buffet on Thursdays. While Birchwood has the bar area, Stanley said 70 percent of the business is in food sales and the bar is not a driving force. But even after being open for a year in August, Stanley said they run into people who don't realize the restaurant is there. Others, she said, report thinking the building was for designed for storage.
Blaeser and Stanley said in the desire to open last year before the summer season was over, they may have pushed to open the doors before they were ready. Initial slow service may have been a poor first impression for some. Now with a year behind them, the restaurant is attracting customers from Crosslake, Nisswa, Merrifield, Hackensack and Backus but still may be less known right in its own neighborhood.
Stanley and Blaeser said they know it takes a few years to be truly established but they said they've built a core group of employees with a focus on friendly service and affordable prices.
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Giant smiley face cookies were in the bakery at Birchwood of Breezy. The restaurant opened the bakery in May. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
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"It will get bigger and better," Stanley said. "It's a great location, if the economy would get a little better to help us out."
Stanley said beyond the job, the restaurant's staff cares about the Birchwood as though it were their own business. Mary and Rich Roubal are the bakers. Birchwood works with Christmas and holiday parties, group meetings and have a Sunday brunch. They'd like to start dart leagues and shuffleboard and add horse shoes and bocce ball.
Blaeser, who first came on to help with the bookkeeping, still comes in once or twice a week to clean the restaurant in the morning and open the business for the day.
"You don't ask your help to do something you won't do," she said.
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Brittany Freeburg, Pine River, recently worked in the Birchwood bakery and deli. The joint deli and bakery has its own seating area. Trays of cookies and a display case of sweet rolls are on one side of the room with another case filled with salads and deli offerings such as a giant bowl of olives. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
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And that dedication appears to be returned. An employee made curtains for the business and an employee provided extensive Christmas decorations for the restaurant last season.
"They've all gone over and above," Blaeser said. "I've got great employees."
"We've still got big dreams," Stanley said.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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