Minne Cabana is located at 501 N. 1st Street in New Ulm. The boutique open in March 2023, features clothing, accessories, shoes, fragrances, hats and more.

The idea for Crystal Braun’s Minne Cabana boutique came to her while vacationing some years ago. She had stayed at a boutique motel. Those kinds of motels are generally smaller, more intimate, and usually feature a strong artistic sense and focus on design.

Braun thought maybe she should flip a Minnesota motel into a coastal oasis. Swap the center parking lot for a pool, cabanas, palm trees, patio lights, and other coastal aesthetics. Braun laughed and said, “It was a fun idea, if I had oodles of cash laying around.”

Aside from her love for design, she’s always had an eye for fashion. When she found a space at 508 1st North Street in New Ulm, she decided to open a trend forward boutique with coastal flair. “For now, it will be the closest thing I can get to my dream of a boutique on a beach,” she said.

When you enter the boutique, you cannot help but notice the coastal décor. A tropical plant, rattan chairs, words on her front window that read, “Would rather be at the beach!” Don’t forget to look up to check out the rattan light shades. And, during the holidays, you will see starfish as her tree topper. Braun said, “If you can’t live on the beach, why not create a tranquil space here.”

Braun opened her boutique on March 18, 2023. It features clothing, accessories, shoes, fragrances, hats and more. You will find current seasonal trends, but she’s bringing in Spring pieces that are selling fast.

Braun says she likes to curate wardrobes. Meaning that she enjoys creating a collection of garments and accessories that reflect your unique taste and identity. She encourages people to come in and try on the clothes at her boutique. She said, “I often hear – I wish I could wear that. There is no age in style, and you don’t know unless you try it. A lot of times those end up being the staple pieces in my customer’s wardrobe.”

Braun said, “I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and have my own business.” She still works fulltime besides running a successful business on her own. She wears many hats at the store from buying, marketing, floor set, record keeping, helping customers, and she says she loves it.

Her future plans are not definite, but her goal is to be open more hours and offer online sales. Braun said, “This past year’s focus was learning the community and finding my customer base. This year’s focus is growth, but no major changes are planned.” She has been encouraged to open stores in other communities. “That is a really nice compliment, and it would be exciting to grow, but one step at a time,” said Braun.

The boutique does not advertise, but has been successful with just “word of mouth” and by using social media to let people know when the boutique is open as store hours are limited. The boutique is open mostly on weekends. Find Minne Cabana on Facebook or Instagram or at https://www.minnecabana.com to learn more.