The notion that Eden Prairie would spend $700,000 so people could enjoy a pricey latte in the sun-dappled confines of a historic house was bound to raise eyebrows.
When the city's promised payback within a decade or so began to wilt amid the awkward realities of the site, things got worse.
"To have to go to council and say 'That $68,000 in rent? It has to go down to $35,000,' is a hard pill to ask them to swallow," said economic development manager David Lindahl. "There was talk of getting it appraised and selling it, but it did not sell."
Today, however, the Smith Douglas More House and its Dunn Brothers occupant have a brand-new gazebo in addition to vastly expanded parking to accommodate all those eager to use the space.
"I couldn't even count the number of groups that use it," said Ann Schuster, the franchisee. "There's a group of some kind in here every minute of the day."
But as successful as the place has been, it's the flip side in Savage, where a similar effort involving a historic train depot has just failed for the second time.
"We just got an e-mail saying he's moving out," Savage Mayor Janet Williams said Monday of the second person to try and make a go of it in downtown Savage as a coffee shop and restaurant. "I'm really saddened by this. The depot has added a lot to the vitality of downtown."
Both projects, in Eden Prairie and Savage alike, have been through some rough spots. Both cities have had to renegotiate leases in ways that expect less from vendors.