Top-Rate Hospitality In A Small Town

2025 - Volume #49, Issue #2, Page #10

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As new grandparents, Jacob and Leslie Lee are affectionately known as Lolli Pops. “The name was so clever and endearing that when we had the opportunity to purchase and remodel a bakery, we thought it was a great business name,” says Leslie.
Lolli Pops Bakery, Café and Gift Shop is now a thriving small business in Elysian, Minn. The Lees and their business partners, Dylan and Hannah Sheehy (Leslie’s brother and his wife), chose the name after acquiring Mama’s Mercantile. They’re quick to point out that their fresh and homemade baked goods are just “like Mama used to make.”
The menu includes a large selection of sweet treats, all-day breakfasts, freshly brewed coffee, espresso and Tillamook ice cream. The gift shop carries jewelry, gift cards and self-care items. Catering is available for graduations, special events and weddings.
“Elysian has just 600 residents, but it’s in a great location, next to several lakes, on a busy highway and a major bike trail,” Leslie says. “The bakery has great local customers, and business really picks up during the tourist, fishing, biking and camping season.”
The Lee’s entrepreneurship began three years earlier. Leslie was a nurse practitioner while Jacob was in construction when they acquired a shuttered restaurant within walking distance of the bakery. “Jacob and I both grew up in the area and worked at cafes, restaurants and as bartenders. We’d dreamed of opening a wedding venue, so when the Bear’s Den restaurant became available, we bought it. “The building was rustic inside and out, and it needed an entire facelift,” Leslie says.
Jacob used 30 gal. of chinking caulk to repair cracks between the log siding, then redid the exterior with 100 gal. of white paint. Black asphalt shingles replaced the cedar shakes to give the building a bright, contemporary look. He also gave the inside a significant facelift, removing the booths, bar and fixtures and adding new flooring, light fixtures and furnishings. A commercial garage door opened the interior space to a patio that accommodates 100 or more people.
Leslie says, “The interior space is now large, open and inviting, where guests can socialize, have an elegant sit-down dinner, and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors.” Weddings can be held outside on the beautifully landscaped grounds or inside a 3,000-sq. ft. retreat space that Jacob repurposed from a storage building. He installed a chef’s kitchen, a 12-ft. granite island and a private home theater.
He also renovated two nearby 2,400-sq. ft. storage buildings into the Black Steel Suites. They’re now contemporary five-bedroom patio homes with hotel-style comfort. Wedding parties and guests use them to prepare, relax and party during their big event.
Located only about an hour from the Twin Cities metro area, the venue has hosted more than 50 weddings in each of the past two years. They’re close to another 100,000 or more people in southern Minnesota. Leslie says, “The Ahavah and Lolli-Pops are ideally situated for people who want tip-top hospitality in a quiet and inviting location.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lolli-Pops Bakery, 410 MN Hwy. 60, Elysian, Minn. 56028 (ph 507-267-4480; catering@lolli-pops.com; www.lolli-pops.com) or Ahavah Cottage, 510 MN Hwy. 60, Elysian, Minn. 56028 (ph 507-384-7581; ahavahcottage@gmail.com; www.ahavahcottage.com).

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Top-Rate Hospitality In A Small Town As new grandparents Jacob and Leslie Lee are affectionately known as Lolli Pops “The name was so clever and endearing that when we had the opportunity to purchase and remodel a bakery we thought it was a great business name ” says Leslie Lolli Pops Bakery Café and Gift Shop is now a thriving small business in Elysian Minn The Lees and their business partners Dylan and Hannah Sheehy Leslie’s brother and his wife chose the name after acquiring Mama’s Mercantile They’re quick to point out that their fresh and homemade baked goods are just “like Mama used to make ” The menu includes a large selection of sweet treats all-day breakfasts freshly brewed coffee espresso and Tillamook ice cream The gift shop carries jewelry gift cards and self-care items Catering is available for graduations special events and weddings “Elysian has just 600 residents but it’s in a great location next to several lakes on a busy highway and a major bike trail ” Leslie says “The bakery has great local customers and business really picks up during the tourist fishing biking and camping season ” The Lee’s entrepreneurship began three years earlier Leslie was a nurse practitioner while Jacob was in construction when they acquired a shuttered restaurant within walking distance of the bakery “Jacob and I both grew up in the area and worked at cafes restaurants and as bartenders We’d dreamed of opening a wedding venue so when the Bear’s Den restaurant became available we bought it “The building was rustic inside and out and it needed an entire facelift ” Leslie says Jacob used 30 gal of chinking caulk to repair cracks between the log siding then redid the exterior with 100 gal of white paint Black asphalt shingles replaced the cedar shakes to give the building a bright contemporary look He also gave the inside a significant facelift removing the booths bar and fixtures and adding new flooring light fixtures and furnishings A commercial garage door opened the interior space to a patio that accommodates 100 or more people Leslie says “The interior space is now large open and inviting where guests can socialize have an elegant sit-down dinner and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors ” Weddings can be held outside on the beautifully landscaped grounds or inside a 3 000-sq ft retreat space that Jacob repurposed from a storage building He installed a chef’s kitchen a 12-ft granite island and a private home theater He also renovated two nearby 2 400-sq ft storage buildings into the Black Steel Suites They’re now contemporary five-bedroom patio homes with hotel-style comfort Wedding parties and guests use them to prepare relax and party during their big event Located only about an hour from the Twin Cities metro area the venue has hosted more than 50 weddings in each of the past two years They’re close to another 100 000 or more people in southern Minnesota Leslie says “The Ahavah and Lolli-Pops are ideally situated for people who want tip-top hospitality in a quiet and inviting location ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Lolli-Pops Bakery 410 MN Hwy 60 Elysian Minn 56028 ph 507-267-4480; catering@lolli-pops com; www lolli-pops com or Ahavah Cottage 510 MN Hwy 60 Elysian Minn 56028 ph 507-384-7581; ahavahcottage@gmail com; www ahavahcottage com

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