Apache is functioning normally
FARGO — Holland’s Home and Garden is now planted in Fargo’s downtown.
Sarah and Mike Liljestrand are on track to open their
shop at 420 N. University Drive
on Friday, May 5.
Mike Liljestrand jokes that between Holland’s, the neighboring Dairy Queen, and Chub’s Pub & Package Place across the street, downtown and northside residents can get everything they need in one place.
“We’ve got this kind of interesting triangle here,” Mike said. “You can come and get a flat of flowers, and a 12-pack of beer across the street, and then get your ice cream cone for the trip home. We’ve got a little of everything to offer here on the block.”
Holland’s used to be at 1201 Center Ave. in Moorhead.
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The race to this spring’s opening in the new location – a former Taco Shop – started Dec. 5, “the day we bought it,” Sarah said.
Sweat equity has since made the shop bloom.
On Saturday, April 29, the husband and wife team, their employees, and Sarah’s father, Jeff Olson, were racing to get the greenhouse enclosed, as partly cloudy skies threatened to give way to evening showers.
The parking lot, which had only featured contractor’s trucks at the start of the week, has sprouted a fenced-in yard, a small forest of young trees and pots of hardy perennial plants, an outdoor kids’ play set and slide, and the aforementioned greenhouse.
“We’ve been working hard,” Sarah said.
Plans for opening day have coalesced. The first 30 people who show up Friday will get “swag bags,” with a ribbon-cutting set for 11:30 a.m., Sarah said.
There will also be ice cream treats from Dairy Queen, and other goodies, she promised.
Transplanting the business has been a team effort.
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The same day the mortgage papers were signed for the half-acre property, tradesmen began rewiring and re-plumbing the timeworn former restaurant, as well as upgrading the HVAC system.
Meanwhile, the Liljestrands and their employees gutted the interior.
They ripped out the heavy-duty kitchen hood and appliances, and the hurry-up-and-eat banquettes, tables and chairs.
“We had to get the huge cast iron stove out. That was a major undertaking. Our friends from Chub’s Pub came over and helped us,” Mike said. The 700-pound, eight-burner stove was “a monster” to move, and it took a skidsteer to lift it onto a trailer.
There’s fresh paint inside and out, and beautiful tongue and groove boards now grace the ceiling. Cabinets and built-in shelves were installed. A pergola has sprouted up to define the main entry.
The former fast-food hangout is now a sharper, homier place to hang out and browse.
One employee, Chani Thorne, created a funky looking wall with chunks of scrap wood – glued and nailed to the wall – a cross between shelving and art installation.
Taylor Pearson painted a black and white mural of flowers, ferns and mushrooms on a wall by the checkout area.
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Meanwhile, Mak Schilling tiled, and poured concrete for the floor and a counter.
“Between the four of us, we literally did everything,” Sarah said. “We did all of this. All of the construction.”
The interior of the store is now an artfully designed mix of houseplants and home goods: artwork, ceramic, glass and metal pots for plants, candles, pillows, throws, wall hangings and hanging baskets, rugs, poster papers and clothing,
“We’re kind of just expanding now what we’ve always done,” Sarah said.
A lot more people have put down roots in downtown Fargo in recent years, and not many businesses on the western edge of the old city center offer home decor, Sarah said.
The Liljestrands also believe their plants, trees and shrubs will be as popular with northside homeowners as they have with Moorhead customers.
The greenhouse will not only be used for plants, but to accommodate a growing schedule of classes.
All of their plants will be in stock on site. Landscaping material will be stored at their rural Clay County homestead, the couple said.
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Landscaping with trees and extensive plantings is planned for the property once nicer weather arrives.
While uprooting a business is never a joy, there is a huge plus for Holland’s.
Traffic on University Drive could drive significant growth for the mom-and-pop business.
“The vehicle count on this road is unreal,” Mike said.
According to 2021 state and local traffic counts, University Drive between 7th Avenue North and Main Avenue averages about 11,000 to 14,000 vehicles a day.
That is half again or more as the average daily vehicle count as the former Holland’s spot on Moorhead’s Center Avenue (somewhere between 7,000 and 8,400 hundred cars daily.)
That’s a lot more exposure, Mike said.
Hollands started in Moorhead about 50 years ago, Sarah said. The Liljestrands have owned it for more than two decades of that run – five years at the original location along Highway 75, then another 16 years along Center Avenue.
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Sarah and Mike want this move for Holland’s to be the last while they own it.
Still, they say it’s probably better than coping with construction for the next downtown Moorhead underpass.
The Moorhead High School area underpass took a couple years longer than had been expected, which affected all of the businesses around it, the couple said.
As they looked at the initial plans, the 11th Street railroad underpass project appeared to be twice as big and complex. And they learned their spot on Center Avenue needed to be acquired for the project.
The couple spent three years looking at new locations in the metro area before the Taco Shop spot hit the market.
They agree they’ve landed in a good spot.
“There’s a lot more activity here, with all the restaurants, and now the new Brewhalla and everything, you know,” Sarah said.
Once the business is up and humming along, there will be time to think about setting a date for a grand opening party and other events.
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“Food trucks in the summer for sure. Once they come out of hibernation,” Sarah said.
Holland’s will be open 10 a.m. to 6 pm. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 pm. Sunday.
Source: inforum.com