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BECIDA 鈥� The popular Becida Bar and Grill closed last weekend after the building owner and business operator mutually agreed to terminate their lease agreement.

鈥淢y heart is broken,鈥� said Carol Kunnerup, who has run the business for the past 11 months. 鈥淔olks here are like my favorite people ever. We鈥檝e made friends for life here.鈥�

Kunnerup and her family moved to the area from Montana last year to operate the business in the building owned by her cousin鈥檚 Cabellos Holdings company.

鈥淲e bumped heads,鈥� Kunnerup said. 鈥淲e just decided we weren鈥檛 making each other happy. Our family left everything behind so we could come and do the family thing here. Unfortunately, it didn鈥檛 work out. We didn鈥檛 go broke, but the lessor and lessee just weren鈥檛 meeting each other鈥檚 expectations, and that happens sometimes. So we鈥檙e OK with that.鈥�

The Becida Bar and Grill has been a staple in the rural community southwest of Bemidji for many years. Former owner Pam Johnson said it dates back to the late 1950s when her grandmother, Juanita Schlee, ran it as a grocery store and post office. It stayed in the family for all but a couple of years until November of 2023 when it was sold to Cabellos Holdings.

鈥淚t had gone from my grandma to a cousin to an uncle, then back to a different cousin,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭hen my uncle in the Twin Cities owned it for 20 years and leased it.鈥�

Johnson owned the business from 2012 to last year. Kunnerup said the previous owner was helpful during the transition.

鈥淲e started with no knowledge whatsoever,鈥� Kunnerup said, 鈥渁nd we have learned so much in the past year from (Johnson). It鈥檚 all about families serving families, and that鈥檚 why we felt so strongly about being here. We met some really wonderful people that we don鈥檛 want to let go of.鈥�

She said while there are no immediate plans, the Kunnerups are considering finding a new location for their business.

鈥淲e do have a couple things in mind, but nothing solid at this time,鈥� Carol Kunnerup said. 鈥淲e experienced a difficult winter, but we were enjoying an upturn in business. That (a new location) is yet to be seen, but we are interested in this industry.鈥�