Great news from John O's Dinner Theatre - they are open for business

Special note: I spoke with Julie Counter at John O's on Wednesday morning; she said that John O's will open for business again on Wednesday, July 1st. Great news! Read more below...

A note from John O. Bohmer.

We have good news for you today. The John O's Dinner Theatre will remain open. Julie Counter, who has been with John O's since it was opened four years ago, will take charge and continue to operate it as in the past. She has some great ideas about improving service and scheduling, she knows the business, and is very capable and well liked by everyone. We give her a ton of best wishes.

I'm sure you remember Ingrid Fauskee, that girl with big ambition and plenty of ideas. She was responsible for setting up and decorating the entire building. She did a remarkable job of giving it the "air of New Orleans" theme which customers liked very much. She had wonderful ideas and knew how to make the building come to life.

That big wonderful building had been empty and unused for more than 20 years, and we wondered what could be done with it. The city was ready to tear it down, which would have been a shame, but no one came up with an idea of how to use it until Ingrid and I got together and decided that Brooten could use a very nice Dinner Theatre. We did it.

Purchasing equipment, wiring, plumbing, decorating, painting, carpets, drapes, and all the necessary things you don't even think of to make it appealing to the public had to be done. Everything had to work. It was hard work, involved long hours, and quite a few sleepless nights. All of the old equipment such as the furnace, air conditioners, water heaters, etc., had to be replaced because of their age. The building had to be insulated, new windows installed. A flat floor installed and partitions moved. There was a never-ending list of things to be done to make it usable and pleasant.

We knew it would take at least a couple years to get it going to be successful, and it did. Not too many people knew where Brooten was, let alone that there was a delightful dinner theatre here. It took a lot of advertising to make that happen. Now people come from far away to enjoy Western Minnesota's only Dinner Theatre.

I believe John O's has been a good addition to Brooten. It has encouraged other development in town, improved the local economy, and given Brooten a boost of morale that is necessary to keep it alive and thriving. The building is an impressive part of our business district, and we appreciate all the support we have received from our local people and our business places.

I never intended or wanted to be the manager. I had no experience in that business. My interest was to put that great building to use to give us a new business in town and perhaps provide a little "class" that customers will remember when they hear the name Brooten. I hope they will remember the great dinner theatre John O's as the place to go for a good meal and entertainment.

Please support Julie and John O's. She will do a good job, make you proud of her, and furnish you with the best food in the "West." Right Dave?