Crooked Pint and The Pond attracting crowds to former Shopko building

Aug. 9—Area residents and visitors have been flowing into The Pond on Madison since the multi-use venue opened recently in the former Shopko building.

"It's been very busy. Good busy," said Chris LaCombe, general manager of The Pond.

"A lot of people have been checking it out and it's being well received."

The new two-story Crooked Pint Ale House has been a popular destination and was crowded Tuesday afternoon.

The ice rink is already steadily used, as is a large outdoor pickleball court and patio area. Golf simulators, an arcade and mini duck bowling are also part of the mix.

LaCombe said the pickleball courts have been busy in the evening until they close at 11 p.m. And the patio has been full in the afternoon and early evening as it is on the east side of the building and provides shade. He said it is the largest outdoor entertainment space in Mankato.

An event center, The Venue, is open with capacity for up to 800 people standing for a concert and 350 for sit-down events such as weddings.

Susu Sadaka, manager of The Venue, said they have already booked several events, from business meetings to weddings.

Mayo Clinic Health System is also opening a medical sports performance center in the building. There is one more space in the building and LaCombe said they should be able to soon announce who the tenant will be.

Anne Olsen, of St. James, and her son John, of Mankato, were checking out the facility for the first time.

"We needed something like this," John said.

Anne said she likes the multiple choices in one building.

"It's a nice combination of things. There's things for all ages."

She was eating a chicken taco and John was having a salmon bowl, both of which they were impressed with.

"It's really good and there's a lot of food," Anne said.

Lewis Remund, formerly of Mankato and now of Easton, was checking out the outdoor area with his kids James, 12, and Jada, 9, with the kids hitting the ball on the pickleball court while he sat a table.

"It gives the kids a place to run out some of their energy. It's nice to have a place kids can play and the adults can relax," Remund said.

Crooked Pint

"We have had a phenomenal reception by the community. It's been exciting and fun," said Crooked Pint General Manager Jacob Moe.

"We've had a lot of people try our Juicy Lucy, which we're known for. We've had a lot of good feedback about all the activities around here, with pickleball and the arcade and the hockey rink."

Moe, who oversees a few Crooked Pint locations, said finding staff was easier than he'd anticipated.

"We have over 100 staff members total and are continuing to round out our team. When colleges start, we'll get more applications."

There is also a Green Mill To Go inside Crooked Pint, offering takeout pizza, cheese bread and calzones. The two brands are both under the Hightop Hospitality umbrella.

"Green Mill and Crooked Pint are part of the same company, so during the pandemic, we started doing the Green Mill takeout at our Crooked Pint locations," Moe said.

"So many people have been here a couple of times already. All the different things offered here are going to keep people coming back," he said.

"It was a long road to construction and planning and turning an old Shopko into this amazing place. We had a lot of good local contractors that made it work."

The first Crooked Pint opened in Minneapolis in 2011. There are 15 locations in the Upper Midwest.

The menu features classic pub fare with nearly 60 choices for lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and kids menu selections. The restaurant offers dozens of beers on tap.

Hockey central

LaCombe said the ice rink is being used by teams from a 3-on-3 hockey league, featuring mites, squirts, peewee, bantam and coed teams.

"They come from the whole region — New Ulm, St. Peter, Waseca, Owatonna, Faribault, all the way to Rochester and New Prague."

Beginning the third week of September to March, the rink will host adult coed tournaments with teams from around the state.

Mankato Area Hockey Association has agreed to a long-term contract to use the rink seven days a week after Oct. 1.

The Pond is also starting a high school league with 10 teams from the area, which will run from August to early October.

And they're starting a Breakfast Club featuring morning skill skating beginning Sept. 1.