BEMIDJI — “All I can say is ‘Cheers!’”
Those were Terry Smart’s words as he reminisced about the legacy that he started 50 years ago this month when he opened the Keg N’ Cork restaurant and bar in downtown Bemidji. The “Keg” opened on Jan. 27, 1975, at 310 Beltrami Ave. NW, and it’s been Bemidji’s version of the “Cheers” bar made famous on television ever since that day.
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The Keg N’ Cork has had only three owners in those 50 years. Smart had it for the first 27, Mitch Rautio for the next 17 and Tyler Winkka for the last six.
“This place has always been a part of Bemidji, from the happy hour crowds to the late-night college bar drinking crowds,” Winkka said. "So many people who come back to Bemidji have their memories of the place. They come back in here and they always mention how the bar looks the same, and they have memories, or their lack of memories, from their college years.”
Smart bought the property in 1974. It included the Friendly Tap, a tavern run by his parents, Al and Helen Smart. Next door was Heidi’s Cafe, named after Terry’s sister, and a taxi cab office.
“I tore all of them down to make the Keg N’ Cork,” Terry said.
There was never a thought to keep the name Friendly Tap. It was to be the first Irish pub on the Mississippi, and Smart decided to have a contest to come up with its name.
“We had a bucket out in front of the location, and we had people walk by and put in slips of paper with suggested names,” Smart said. “We would give the winner a party with a keg of beer.”
One day after work, Terry and his construction partners took that bucket to another downtown tavern, the Beaver Pond, dumped out all the entries, and selected Keg N’ Cork as the winner.
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“It was from a gal who worked at Northern National Bank,” Smart recalled. “And yes, she got her keg party.”
Once the space was built and named, the Keg N’ Cork quickly became a popular gathering place for downtown business people, college students and tourists. Its formula was simple: a cozy kitchen turning out tasty soups and sandwiches like Terry’s flame-broiled Smart Burger, and a warm, welcoming staff and atmosphere greeting those who come in the door.
“I had some golden rules that I lived by,” Smart said. “Certain rules that if you break these rules you end up going down the toilet. There are two things you need to take care of, and the first one is your employees. If you don't have an employee who's happy with you or they don't like working for you, they're going to relate that to the customer. The second thing is the customer. You give your customers a good product at a fair price. They don't mind paying a fair price for a good product.”
Smart said he was fortunate to have loyal employees throughout his time at the business.
“I could have walked away from that bar for a month and the staff would have had it running just like it used to,” he said.
Changing hands
Rautio bought the Keg N’ Cork in 2002 after moving to Bemidji from the Twin Cities, where he worked in construction. He grew up in New York Mills, where his parents owned a bowling alley, so he was familiar with the hospitality business. Rautio had frequented the Keg N’ Cork while attending Bemidji State University, and he wasn’t about to make any major changes to the place.
“I really tried to not change anything physically,” Rautio said. “Like if we got new flooring, I tried to match the character of the old flooring. We would update the decor but still keep that nostalgic look. As for food, there are those staples like the Smart Burger that never goes away.”
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Rautio is credited with creating one of Bemidji’s most unique events: “The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”
He heard Terry Smart talk about March 17 parades that had taken place in earlier years between the Keg N’ Cork and Al Snider’s Union Station. So Rautio got together with Ann Hayes, who had opened Brigid’s, a second Irish pub across the street from the Keg, and the two owners measured the distance between their establishments.
The new parade debuted in 2012 with revelers marching down Beltrami Avenue from Brigid’s to the Keg N’ Cork. It spanned all of 72 feet, 8 inches.
When Rautio was ready to sell the business in 2019, he didn’t need to look far to find a buyer.
“It was perfect timing for both of us,” said Tyler Winkka, who had been working at the Keg for four years. “Mitch was ready to move on, and I was ready for that next step.”
Winkka, who was born and raised in Bemidji, had worked in the restaurant industry for several years, including stints at Country Kitchen and Bemidji Town and Country Club.
“I wanted to keep the same feel of what makes Keg special,” Winkka said. “We have so many regulars who have been here through the three owners. They keep coming in, so I don’t want to lose that draw. I’m just fortunate to be able to take over an establishment like this. I hope it can continue for another 50 years.”
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One person who has worked with all three owners is David Brumbaugh, who has been on staff since 1995 as a janitor and cook.
“This is my second home,” Brumbaugh said. “It’s where friends gather. I would see certain people come in and I would just start making their burger for them, because I knew what they were going to order every time. Even after employees have long gone, gotten married, moved away, whenever they’re in Bemidji they always make it a point to come back to the Keg N’ Cork, not just to relive old memories but to look up old friends.”
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