With the State Fair underway, it seems a fair gastronomic question: Is Minnesota hungry for loose-meat sandwiches?
Maid-Rite, an 82-year-old chain of diners that once served up their signature fare (think sloppy Joes without the tomato sauce) across the Midwest, is seeking franchisees for a comeback here.
At its peak in the 1930s and '40s, Maid-Rite had hundreds of diners across the Midwest, including several in Minnesota. They dwindled to fewer than 100 by the time Bradley and Tania Burt of Des Moines bought the Iowa-based chain seven years ago. After closing some subpar older stores, they hope to open 1,000 new Maid-Rites in the next 10 years.
In Minnesota, two original Maid-Rites remain, in Brainerd and Bemidji. The Burts are targeting the Twin Cities area for 30 new stores.
All but two company-owned stores in Des Moines are owned by franchisees. Bradley Burt estimated annual sales at about $80 million.
But times are tough in the casual-dining sector, and the Burts say Maid-Rite is trying to keep prices and costs low. Many new Maid-Rites are going into existing strip malls rather than building more expensive stand-alone stores. Menu prices range from $3.19 for a basic Maid-Rite to $4.69 for a "Mega Cheese-Rite."
Maid-Rite is reentering the Twin Cities market about the same time as Dunkin' Donuts, which said this month it's also looking for franchisees. The Burts said they see an opportunity in Starbucks' recent decision to close 27 Minnesota stores.
"Those Starbucks locations are prime spots," Tania Burt said.
CASEY COMMON