The Grain Exchange is hub destination in Slayton
By Renae B. Vander Schaaf
agripen@live.com
Date Modified: 05/30/2012 1:33 PM
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The Grain Exchange
2022 Maple Avenue
Slayton, Minnesota
Menu Items: Extensive!!
Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy
Lunch: Beef Commercial (roast beef on bread, mashed potatoes and gravy)
Beef Dinner
Dinner: Prime Rib, King or Queen, served with vegetable of the day, soup or salad and garlic toast
Hours: 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
A relatively young restaurant is fast becoming a hub destination in Slayton. The Grain Exchange opened its doors in 2006 with a large addition to a former restaurant that had been purchased.
Shane Johanning became the owner in January of 2007. He had never owned a restaurant before. But through his diligence in seeing that the customers are welcomed and served excellent food he is building an enviable reputation.
Customer satisfaction is stressed at his monthly staff meetings. There are twenty-two employees.
The Grain Exchange is a fitting name for the steak house in the southwestern Minnesota town. A rural community where agriculture has played an important role and continues to thrive.
That farming theme is reciprocated inside and outside the building as the architecture outside catches one attention, drawing travellers to check the business out further.. Inside antiques related to earlier farming days are displayed.
"We had a few antiques," said Johanning. "But soon farmers began telling me they had this or that and wondered if I wanted it." To name just a few there is an old fanning mill, articles related to Land O' Lakes and coming soon a oxen yoke. The collection continues to grow.
Good tasting food has always been important to farmers. That is true also at The Grain Exchange. The extensive menu with food that tastes good, the good service and friendly management is what prompted Stan Dahlgren, Slayton, MN to suggest this cafe.
The day begins early at 5:00 with a full breakfast menu. Skillets, omelets, croissant sandwiches and customers favorite of biscuits and gravy.
At 11:00 it changes over to a lunch menu. Besides the menu there are daily specials, with the Beef Commercial which consists of mashed potatoes, beef on bread served with gravy often requested. Delicious soups are made from scratch there at the steak house.
A new menu and specials begin at 5:00 and served until 10:00 when a bar menu takes over. Each night features a different special. Thursday night is a build you own pasta. Three different pastas are served with a variety of vegetables and sauces. Prime Rib is the main stay for Friday and Saturday.
Summer months, The Grain Exchange hosts a cruise night the last Thursday nights of May, June, July and August. Located across the street at the sale barn, the grill is put to work on site. Old and new cars come out of from hiding to be displayed. Appropriately music from the fifties sets the atmosphere for a summer night of bringing the community together for fun.
There is a banquet room for family gatherings, groom's suppers and anything else that requires a meeting spot. It will hold up to fifty guests. An outdoor patio was recently added for customers to enjoy their meals out doors when it is just too nice to be inside.
In Murray County, Slayton has always been referred to as the Hub City, The Grain Exchange is making sure that stays true.