Posted: 4/2/03

When fairness is brushed aside in the name of progress

Running a restaurant canít be easy. We read of business failures on a frequent basis. Theyíve come and gone in Forest Lake over the years, too.

Some fade away on their own accord; others are victims to what we commonly refer to as progress. Customers of Hardeeís here have learned that recently as that one time popular fast-food restaurant is shuttered, soon to be demolished to make way for a new Walgreens.

Itís a similar story in Forest Lakeís downtown where Dona Leís, a family-style restaurant that has succeeded for the past decade, is being pushed out by downtown redevelopment.

Like the Hardeeís to the west, the Dona Leís building at 59 N. Lake St. will soon fall victim to the demolition tools for the second phase of the Park Place development. Earlier this winter business owners Donna and Dale Schultz were told their lease was up and they must close or relocate Dona Leís by May 1.

The last day for Dona Leís will be Sunday, April 27.

Thereís no secret that the building housing Dona Leís is not a prize. The fact that it has been a restaurant since 1980 is the only reason that it has been allowed to continue in that capacity.

But there is also no secret that Donna and Dale have made Dona Leís the amazingly successful cafe that it was for years under the Charlieís Place name. It wasnít always that way for this spot.

A number of business owners spent relatively short stints trying to make a go of it. Charlie Carpenter and most recently the Schultz are the owners who carved a place for the restaurant in the downtown.

They wouldnít have had a chance without the courage of Ruth Borgman, Forest Lake, who first opened 59 N. Lake St. as a cafe. She started Mom and Dadís Pie Shop in November of 1980 and ran it for just under two years.

She offered a soup and sandwich menu along with a long list of pies ó all homemade that were served by the slice or sold as a full pie.

ìIt was fun but a lot of work,î Borgman said. After 21 months of operation, the business was sold and Borgman broke even on the financial side of the business.

Carpenter came on the scene about six months later, buying what was called the Lakeview Inn & Deli, a cafe that tried to push outdoor seating and lake views, but not with much success.

Carpenter changed that trend, making Charlieís Place a homestyle cafe where casseroles and dinner specials satisfied hungry customers from Nov. of 1982 to August of 1990 when Charlieís changed to Bernieís Cafe.

One of the Bernieís waitresses was Donna Schultz. In March of 1993, Donna and Dale invested $35,000 to buy the business.

Utilizing some of Carpenterís secret recipes and plenty of their own ideas, Donna and Dale Schultz built Dona Leís into a popular destination point as a family restaurant.

But soon Forest Lake will no longer see this family tradition. And it will be a blow to the Forest Lake downtown.

Dale was 55 and Donna 50 when they bought the business 10 years ago, hoping to run it right and eventually sell their cafe for a profit. Thatís the American way of business.

ìIt takes away our retirement,î Donna Schultz said. ìWe thought weíd have a business that we could sell for a profit. Financially weíve done well, but it hurts.î

When their building was sold and they were given notice, Donna said their options were limited. It was either close or start anew somewhere else. They have chosen to close.

Dale is now 65 and Donna is 60. Starting over now ó even with some city-paid relocation costs ó didnít seem to make sense.

Costs for a new restaurant could easily top $250,000, Donna said. And that would mean they would be forced to stay in the business for a number of years to make the deal work.

ìWe chose not to move,î Donna says.

They are using the month of April to say farewell to their many customers. ìI appreciate all the customers,î she says.

Dona Leís will continue to be open 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. On Saturdays and Sundays through April, only breakfast will be served.

On Monday, April 28, the owners will conduct a garage sale from their cafe and plan to sell all the decorative items and knickknacks that have been on display in Dona Leís the past decade.

The owners are seeking buyers for all the restaurant equipment, tables and chairs in the place.

It will be a sad ending for a place that has seen so much happiness for its owners and customers over the past decade.

But it is progress, right? Maybe and maybe not.

If the new Park Place development delivers the same feeling that The Plaza is creating, the area may be to the better. What redevelopment awaits the remainder of the N. Lake St. block is uncertain, but we hope no more three-story sun blockers will advance to the north.

There is no doubt that change was going to come to the cityís downtown before long. While some have longed to hang on to the past, others realize that change will take place.

How it takes place is something we hope the city leaders take seriously. Could there not be a stronger vision for the downtown ó a vision that looks ahead but takes pride in the history and tradition of Forest Lake? So far we havenít seen that.

There seems to be no place in this thinking now for a family-style restaurants like Dona Leís Cafe. The first phase of the Park Place swept aside My Place Cafe and another part of the cityís past.

Other establishments in Forest Lake will try to fill the void and something new may yet take space in Park Place and try to fill the gap left by the departure of Dona Leís. One can hope.

There seems to be something grievously wrong with a government system that will step in and end a coupleís retirement plan, be the rules right or wrong. But this is the system we have today.

Sometimes we call it progress but on occasions like this, the definition of progress is a bit lacking.

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