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photo by Steve Block/Albert Lea Tribune
Workers from Minneapolis-based Crawford Merz Anderson Construction Co. pack up equipment Monday at the former Starbucks Coffee store.
Maid-Rite interested in Albert Lea
Company looks at former Starbucks location
Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A longtime Albert Lea eating tradition may soon return to town.
Maid-Rite, an Iowa-based restaurant chain, is interested in opening a store at the former Starbucks location at 2221 East Main St., according to a local real-estate broker.
Tom Leland, of Gateway Commercial Realty, has been in contact with Maid-Rite, while working for the building’s out-of-town owners.
“I’ve had some very positive discussions with Maid-Rite, among others, about coming to Albert Lea,” said Leland.
According to the Star Tribune, Maid-Rite is looking at many of the buildings in Minnesota Starbucks closed this summer. There are only two Maid-Rites in Minnesota — Brainerd and Bemidji.
Maid-Rite, a maker of loose-meat ground-beef sandwiches, opened its first store in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1926. The company operated a franchise in Albert Lea at 220 E. William St., from the late 1940s until the late 1960s. The site is now the home of Produce State Bank.
The building contains 1,854 square feet, which puts it well within Maid-Rite’s usual size range. The company issued a news release last week specifically on the Albert Lea site.
“The standard equipment package for a Maid-Rite diner can be as low as $95,000 to $125,000 for a 1,500-square-foot floor plan, plus with lease-hold improvements, working capital and franchise fees, the total cost for a franchisee restaurant can be in the range of $175,000 to $250,000 to open and operate a Maid-Rite restaurant,” said Maid-Rite President and CEO Bradley Burt in the news release.
He noted the advantage of doing business in a city that is the crossroads for Interstate 35 and Interstate 90. He also praised the city’s diverse economic base.
Leland said he hopes a new dining option could lead to further positive developments.
“If a Maid-Rite restaurant is successful here, then maybe other fast-food chains would be interested in locating in Albert Lea in the very near future,” he said. “Certainly that’s what I would like to see and many other people would as well. Our city certainly has room to grow. We want to get the building leased and get it re-opened.”
Maid-Rite emphasizes quick, low-cost eating in a clean and friendly environment, according to the news release.
“If we have the opportunity to have a franchisee owned and operated Maid-Rite in Albert Lea, we want our customers to know that the Maid-Rite red-and-white stop-sign logo stands for quality, consistency and value in enjoying our delicious, great-tasting sandwiches at an affordable price,” said Tania Burt, executive vice president of Maid-Rite. “Within our vision is to always our Midwest, friendly hometown hospitality philosophy in serving our customers that is so important in all of our franchisee restaurants when customers visit us.”
Maid-Rite currently has 82 restaurants located in eight Midwestern states, with one soon to open in Arlington, Tex. Albert Lea was targeted as a priority city by the company as part of its 2008 development growth plan.
Bradley and Tania Burt have owned the Maid-Rite chain since 2001. Most of the stores are owned by franchisees. The Star Tribune said the Burts also hope to bring 30 stores to the Twin Cities.
Comments
Posted by bobbyg (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Do you suppose they'll deliver?
(deliver to New York?)
ummm umm
I miss the Maid-rite sandwich!
I remember when I was young, (20 cents each, 5 for a buck!)
I remember the older gentleman would take a huge pile of ground meat, throw it in the cooker, add water, and let it cook! I've tried to recreate that several times, and can't! What was the secret?
I hope they do move to A.L. again, I'll be sure to stop when I come back for a visit.
Posted by bobbyg (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ohhh,
everyone shout hurray, "HURRAY", that Starbucks is moving out!
Posted by KATOMAN (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Maid Rite was on my paper route. Those brutally cold days I would walk in and the smell and steam would engulf you. You could not see out of the windows. They would always set up a sandwich or two while I warmed up. I also had the Albert Hotel on my route
and the banana split on those hot summer days sure would hit the spot.
Posted by michie62 (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Those were great times after going to the Broadway with my grandparents and then to the Maid Rite for some good food! The one in Lake Mills was okay, but the A.L. Maid Rite was super! I hope it comes back because I surely would come back for that!
Posted by mojo (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bobbyg... try this for making Maid Rite's at home. The secret is to steam the beef, I use a double boiler. Keep breaking it up as it cooks. Then add soy sauce and a little A-1 steak sauce. More soy than A-1. That's it. It's a pretty good recreation ... I've introduced them to friends who never heard of Maid Rite and they have always been a hit. Maid Rite in ALB would be great!
Posted by bobbyg (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you!! I'll try that
I've tried strained mushroom soup with out the mushrooms, along with s&p
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Having Maid-Rite come to town is great, however losing Starbucks or any other business is not great.
Posted by leeleebelle (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It would be terrific to have a Maid-Rite in town again. Jimmy Kappas used to run it years ago and the food was just great! I sure hope it comes to pass!
Posted by anasgrammy (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HURRY!!!! BRING IT BACK
Posted by 57boy (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll be the first in line to buy a good old Maid Rite again!!!Now all we need is A & W to open & we'd realy be sitting great.I can taste em already !!!!Keep up the good work Tom !!!
Posted by dinomac (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I worked at the Maid-Rite in 1973-74, so the article was incorrect about it closing in the 60s... I wasn't old enough to work then. The Paczkowski's owned the MR then. Fabulous is the word for Maid-Rites. We would make them dry or greasy (however the customer wanted them). We had malts, shakes, real cherry cokes, homemade french fries, fish sandwiches, pie and onion rings!!! I made $1.80 an hour and had 60 cents taken out of my daily wage, to pay for all I could eat! I think I got a GREAT deal!
Looking at the article, it's certainly not a done deal and it looks like Tom is soliciting for someone to buy the franchise rights for Albert Lea. I would welcome a Maid-Rite, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This is Albert Lea! Cross your fingers!!!!
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe Robert Hoffman could do it again!
Posted by 1978 (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NO to Hoff. A resounding YES to the return of the Maid Rite!
Posted by 3trees (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 10:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Anyone can do it. It only takes a $200,000 franchise fee.
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on August 26, 2008 at 11:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
1978
Why no to Hoff? He can own the franchise.
Posted by daddyof4 (anonymous) on August 27, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm having a hard time 'swallowing' the fact that a Fortune 500 company couldn't make a go of the location selling $5 coffee...how on earth can you explain a shop selling $3 sandwiches to resurrect that spot? Margins are MUCH higher on coffee than on food.
Unless the franchisee can purchase or lease the building at favorable terms, the odds of a successful business remaining there are fragile at best.
I am as excited as anybody that an old favorite is looking to our community! Let's hope those 'in the know' know how to do this deal right so we don't all get excited that another business comes in only to leave in a few years.
(BTW, if it DOES happen, I hope they bring back those red stools around the counter. My boys will LOVE that!!)
Posted by lhartz (anonymous) on August 27, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is great news for Albert Lea! I remember many great meals at the Maid-Rite many years ago. I know that I will be inclined to make many trips from St. Paul to Albert Lea if there is a Maid-Rite in town. I certainly hope this happens for my old home town.
Posted by ASJ (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've never ate at a Maid Rite restaurant, sounds good. It would be nice if there was a Chipotle here.
Posted by diddlyscrumps (anonymous) on August 28, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've never heard of Maid Rite...I've heard of Tendermaid though. That's in Austin, and it's really good. It sounds like the same thing to me.
Posted by Albertlea (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 6:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is pathetic. Industry is relocating all around us and we get excited about a loose meat sandwich shop. What a joke. Wake up people, you needed the coffee allot more than you need another fat supply house.
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