Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.
Hy-Vee, We Hardly Knew Ye
Devastating news out of Hy-Vee HQ in West Des Moines, Iowa: The Hy-Vee chain of grocery stores is shutting down "all but a few" of its in-store bars, according to industry publication Restaurant Business. The tragic change was reported in early April but only came across Racket's Drinking in Grocery Stores Action Desk this week, after a self-described member of "the community of the Hy-Vee Bar Robbinsdale" reached out to express their dismay.
Now, why would someone think to contact Racket with that information? Well...
Yes, we are noted fans of the Hy-Vee bar, which we have heralded as "a great place to get hammered for very little money" and "drink amongst a storied cast of regulars," especially for those who are keen to "walk past an entire produce department just to use the bathroom."
"It’s a grocery store bar with the soul of a dive bar," contributor Joel Swenson wrote a little over two years ago. And yes, he is the person who now writes about making THC deviled eggs for Racket, but we believe you can still trust him on this matter.
The news follows Hy-Vee's recent decision to replace all in-store Wahlburgers locations with its proprietary Market Grille concept, which will also be replacing the in-store bars. Other Hy-Vee customers seem as confused as we are regarding this decision from corporate, for a variety of reasons, if this thread in r/desmoines is any indication. We reached out to the chain's PR department to confirm which Twin Cities bar/restaurant concepts are, in fact, among those getting the axe but haven't heard back.
Wanna Buy a "Starter Home"? Good Fuckin' Luck, Buddy!
The headline the Star Tribune went with is "Competition for Twin Cities homes between $250K and $500K is fiercer than ever," but given the general vibe of the story the one above could have worked just as well.
Jim Buchta reports that with Gen Z, millennials, and baby boomers all "duking it out" over "a dearth of listings," the price of a starter home—defined as one of those in the bottom fourth of listings—has increased by more than half since 2019. That's insane! Here in 2025, the average starter home will cost you $293,910, and that's with interest rates just under 7%. "Homes in that range incur multiple and over-asking price offers, a more common practice during the pandemic, when mortgage rates were half of what they are today," Buchta writes.
And while those high interest rates and the tight market have dinged demand some, previously owned houses between $250,000 and $350,000 sold in 36 days last month, which is faster than any other price range in the Twin Cities.
Good Things Are Brewing
For Axios Twin Cities, Nick Halter reports that Minnesota craft breweries are seeing improved sales, with overall production increasing by 10.8% in 2024. Breweries have been bolstered by nonalcoholic beer and THC beverage sales, and they're making better use of those big ol' taprooms: "Our focus has moved a little bit more towards community events and becoming almost an event center," Boom Island Brewing Co. owner Casey McCauley tells Axios.
Those stats seem to back up what James Figy found in this Racket report last October. Figy surveyed 44 brewing pros and found that a majority (54.5%) had seen sales growth over the last year, and most (63.6%) said their outlook was positive.
“Overall, my outlook is positive for Minnesota craft beer,” Brian Carlson, owner and general manager of River Siren Brewing Co. in Stillwater, told Racket at the time. “I am concerned when I hear about once pinnacle breweries closing their doors, but we continue to see strong demand.”
That dreaded "craft beer bubble" industry observers have been fretting over for a decade? It doesn't seem anywhere close to popping just yet.
Trump Cuts to Make BWCA Trips More of a Hassle
Two of the most accessible places where visitors typically pick up Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits won't be an option for the 2025 season. That's according to Paddle & Portage Magazine, which for some reason does not mention the current presidential administration in noting that "ongoing budget and staffing woes impacting the U.S. Forest Service" are at the root of the change. Yes... ongoing budget and staffing woes caused by... insert "say the line, Bart" meme here.
P&P's Joe Friedrichs does note that those two ranger stations, Gunflint in Grand Marais and Kawishiwi in Ely, issued an estimated 4,300 permits last year, which will now fall to other outfitters and small businesses to manage. The Forest Service has been contacting those who already registered for permits to be picked up at Gunflint and Kawishiwi to let them know the'll need to change their pickup location. “This is going to have a tremendous impact on staffing needed to write all of the permits,” says John Schiefelbein of Ely's North Country Canoe Outfitters, one of the private outfitters who'll have to pick up the slack.
The impacted ranger stations will also also be forced to shut down their retail operations, meaning you'll have to score "books, Smokey Bear paraphernalia, maps, and shirts" elsewhere. Damn you, ongoing budget and staffing woes impacting the U.S. Forest Service!
