Biz beat: Think Mutual Bank opens in Eagan and Apple Valley

Think Mutual Bank recently opened two new locations south of the river.

Think Mutual customers can now bank at branches in Eagan and Apple Valley.

The Eagan branch is at 4245 Johnny Cake Ridge Road near Kowalski's Market and CVS Pharmacy.

The Apple Valley branch is at 15751 Emperor Av., south of the Target on Pilot Knob Road.

The branches opened Jan. 13, and they cost more than $8 million to build. They are Think Mutual's first extensions into the south-metro area.

A large concentration of the bank's Twin Cities customers are south of the river, said Daryl Karsky, vice president of the Twin Cities region for Think Mutual.

The buildings themselves are interesting, Karsky said. Instead of traditional teller lines, there are concierge stations, he said. The buildings have a more open layout and feature a lot of glass.

Think Mutual is a Rochester-based bank founded in 1961 by several IBM Rochester employees. The bank started out as an institution only for IBM employees in the Midwest, but since 2007, when it was converted into Think Mutual Bank, its products and services have been offered to the general public. The bank now has 10 branches, including six in Rochester.

The "Think" in its name, a well known slogan created by IBM's founder, remains as a tip of the hat to the bank's IBM beginnings.

There will be ribbon cuttings and grand openings for both locations in February.

Dunn Bros. in Farmington to offer beer and wineAlong with a hot cup of Joe or a steaming mug of spiced apple cider, Farmington residents soon will be able to order a glass of wine or a bottle of beer at Dunn Bros.

The Dunn Bros. Coffee at 20700 Chippendale Av. W. will offer alcoholic beverages starting in mid-February.

The coffee shop was approved last week for a beer and wine license by the Farmington City Council.

Mark Christenson, vice president of marketing for Dunn Bros,, said there are already a few locations that offer beer and wine. "It is becoming more popular," he said.

The beverages can compliment other features of the shop, such as live music, he said.

"When we tried karaoke, we noticed that people needed a little liquid encouragement," Hartnett joked.

There won't be any beer on tap, but customers can expect to have a selection of foreign and domestic bottled beers, Hartnett said. Wine also will be available by the glass, he said.

Chamber to host its first Brew HaHaGrab a coffee and network at the first Farmington Coffee Brew HaHa being held Thursday.

This new networking event is a way for Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce members to showcase their businesses to other members.

The Brew HaHa is replacing the Farmington breakfast event that the chamber used to host. It will be a regular event on the fourth Thursday of each month.

This week's Brew HaHa will take place at Blondie's Tavern at 20700 Chippendale Av. in Farmington. It will be an hour-long, stand-up networking event beginning at 8 a.m.

If you are interested in hosting a Brew HaHa, contact Michelle Tighe at mtighe@dcrchamber.com or 651-288-9202.