SLEEPY EYE -The telephone has been ringing regularly since four area men bought the Orchid Inn and Motor Lodge earlier this month.
Jim Broich, Bob and Larry Pelzel of Sleepy Eye and Brian Fredin of rural Comfrey purchased the Orchid Inn and Motor Lodge on June 6, three weeks after they began running the business themselves.
On Friday morning, building maintenance workers buzzed in and out of the expansive Minnesota Room with its long bar.
One of the largest banquet halls in this part of the state with a capacity of 700, the room was set with white table linen and ceiling streamers for a Saturday night wedding reception.
"We're getting booked up on Saturday nights, but we'll take reservations for open dates," said Bob Pelzel.
New carpeting adorned front entry to the lounge that is now open from 5 p.m. to midnight or so on Fridays and Saturdays.
"We're serving smoked gizzards, shrimp dip, pizza and other snacks again in the lounge," Broich said.
The kitchen is being remodeled. An old, walk-in freezer has been removed. Another one remains.
The kitchen will be renovated and must pass a state inspection before it can be operational.
After decades of storage use only, motel rooms will be renovated with larger, new windows and smoke alarms so the facility can pass state inspections.
"We'll do a few of them at a time, as funding allows," said Broich.
The men bought the business after extended discussions about its feasibility.
"We're happy about all the public interest in it. We bought it because we didn't want it to shut down and many people told us they wanted to see it stay open," said Broich.
He added that business improvements will continue as long as local and area people support it.
"It's like putting together a puzzle, one piece at a time," said Broich.
The Orchid Inn hosts most of the Old Sleepy Eye Collectors Club Convention, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2.
Convention events include a show and sale of Sleepy Eye items, seminars, an auction, reproduction display, business meeting, banquet and limited-edition commemorative item.
The non-profit organization, dedicated to collecting and preserving items related to Sleepy Eye Milling Co. was formed in 1976 in Monmouth, Ill., the home of Western Stoneware Co., where Sleepy Eye pottery was produced.
For more information, visit oldsleepyeyecollectors.com/
Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.
