Do some bowling and grab some food at Preston, Minn., eatery
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/19/2010 3:33 PM
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B&B Olympic Bowl
Address: 301 Kansas St. Northwest, Preston, Minn.
Hours: Food is available from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The bar is open from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Biggest seller: One-third pound cheeseburger with a side, $5.25.
Call them at:(507) 765-2522
PRESTON, Minn.— Shelly Hanson was working in Hallmark's manufacturing department in Kansas when she decided she needed a change. She moved in Minnesota in 1999 and began working as a waitress in Preston.
It was a good move for Hanson. She met and married her husband, Paul, and eventually took over her place of employment, B&B Olympic Bowl. She and Paul have owned the restaurant, bar and bowling alley since September, 2009.
"It's been 'learn on the go'," said Shelly.
They've been updating the building, which she thinks was built in the 1950s. Their improvements include a new walk-in freezer and kitchen cooler, they're in the process of adding steel siding to the exterior and they've put in a new air conditioning system. Paul helps with the projects when he's not working at a local crop and hog farm.
B&B serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a seating area for approximately 40 guests.
"The portions are good and the price is right," Shelly said.
Morning meals include eggs, pancakes, three-egg omelets and B&B's own creation of stacked hash browns. It's a layer of hash browns, cheese, all the ingredients of an omelet without the eggs— such as onions and green peppers —then another layer of hash browns, more cheese and more toppings.It sells for $5.80.
"We're country people, we like our potatoes," Shelly said.
They also serve the farmer's special, also for $5.80, which includes egg, hash browns and country fried steak.
"We cater to the farm community," said Shelly. "No one leaves hungry."
Two lunch specials are offered each day Monday through Friday, like a hot-beef sandwich with hand-peeled potatoes that are mashed and served with gravy.No instant potatoes are ever used in the kitchen.
The menu also includes 16-inch pizzas baked on site. Other dinner options are steak, entree salads and pasta. They have specialty burgers, like the Falcon Burger, with can be served with A1 sauce and cheese.
The bar has two 50-inch plasma TVs, a jukebox, pool table and darts.
An eight-lane bowling alley is in the back. Shelly wasn't a bowler until she came to B&B, but now she says it's a passion. She likes to organize activities that get families bowling together.
"Even though we're a bar, we're a family business. We're really still family-focused," she said.
Black lights come on for moonlight bowling on Friday nights. Games on Sunday only cost $1 per person plus shoe rental. They've offered that deal for three or four years, but last year it was so popular that people needed a reservation to get a lane.
"We try to do things families can afford to do," she said.
In April, they held their second tournament that paired adults with kids. Their scores were added together and everyone got a prize.
Shelly is also working to keep people active in bowling. She hosts a tournament that's grown to hundreds of participants and needs to be held over multiple weekends. One couple comes all the way from Ohio to compete.
"Everybody has a good time," Shelly said.
B&B hosts birthday parties, wedding receptions, employee parties and church groups, and it's a popular place for local students to come on days off from school, she said.