Mike Kinnan, owner of the Lookout in Maple Grove joins us for a brief interview to speak about how his company is managing during these times with the shelter in place order due to COVID-19.
The Lookout is currently providing take-out and delivery through select vendors. To see more information go to www.lookoutbarandgrill.com or call 763-424-4365
The history of The Lookout Bar & Grill runs deep. Since its establishment in 1958, we continue to be the family-owned, local favorite for great food and live entertainment in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Some of The Lookout’s current specials are their Friday Fish Fry as well as their $49.95 Easter Dinner for 4 special.
Transcription of Interview
Jake
Maple Grove Radio, and I’m here with the owner of the lookout, Mike Kinnan. And he’s here today to talk to us about a little what’s going on with the look out with everything that’s going on with Covid-19 and just a little more information about his business. Mike, thanks for being on here.
Mike
Thanks for having me on. Yeah, things are obviously changing a little over the last couple weeks and on the same platform that we’ve always said they always ask for great patio and live music. And, you know, great happy hour. But obviously those days are behind us for a little while. And we’re doing to go food, catering side open for individually boxed products. Your can’t do bulk catering or any of that stuff right now. But still keeping some of our people busy and up and employed, hoping for a better future.
Jake
That’s good to hear. So just a little bit kind of just going back, you know, to previous times and stuff. Well, you want to talk a little bit about kind of the history of The Lookout.
Mike
Yes. Absolutely. We started 1958 in. My dad started to get out of the military. He ran it until about 1987. I took over eighty seven brought things into our platform. Then do our catering company. Our concession company, and patio and volleyball. So actually, my dad passed away two weeks ago. A little change of everything, right now. Different times at the moment.
Jake
So just another question here is, you know, how are you conducting business with COVID 19 at the moment?
Mike
Well, we’re open Tuesday to Sunday now great dinner specials, those specials, you can check those out on Facebook or Web page. Chicken dinner Tuesday. We’ve got some chicken dinners. Always have family meal deals trying to keep it, you know, semi budget orientated. We know people aren’t working as much as they used to be or just economic times ain’t what they used to be. So everythings to-go right now. I’m hoping soon enough that’ll come back to where we can actually have people in the building and get back to a little normalcy.
Jake
I’m seeing some of this stuff here. A little graphic we have here. It’s got the hours up. Looks like we got some Facebook fun here, Anderson Daniel’s live. You want to talk a little bit about that?
Mike
Yeah, we’ve got some different Facebook stuff coming out. We’re doing it. We’re going to do it 7 o’clock a live concert from our stage. Obviously, no spectators or anybody out here, but it’s live from our stage to your living room. That’s how we’re advertising it. Anderson Daniels usually plays wednesday nights out on the patio. Also, we thought we’d bring a little Anderson Daniel’s to people on Wednesday night, they can’t get right now. Yeah, no, that’s that’s gonna be great. Yeah. And then Thursday, we were tagged up with Miller Coors. We’re going to be meeting with them and we’re doing a virtual meat raffle. Six o’clock we usually do meat raffles on Thursday nights. So obviously they can’t win meat but can win gift certificates and prizes and stuff. And we’ll mail them out to people. So people will interactive and still having fun even though they can’t be here.
Jake
Yeah, it sounds like you’re trying to think outside the box a little bit of how to conduct some business and make things a little more lively for you guys and entertain the people in Maple Grove.
Mike
I know when I’m not working which isn’t too often right now I’m bored sitting at home. I’m like, oh, so there’s something we can do to get people engaged and keep their sanity levels up there. We’re trying to push it out there.
Jake
Oh, that’s great to hear. And then any other additional specials that are going on at the moment?
Mike
Well, we also we have nightly dinner specials. Tuesdays a chicken tenders Wednesday wings. Well, when as Thursday is pot roast Friday night, fish fry has been off the hook nuts. So, I mean, obviously, Easter is coming, and lent will be over, but go very busy for the fish fry. A great deal 29.95. It feeds a family of four. Saturday is brisket Saturday for the fresh smoked brisket. We get great deals for that. And then this Sunday is Easter. It’s one of our biggest days of the year, for buffet and families and everything. But this year, we’re offering Easter to-go so you can order ahead of time. That’s a pre-order thing for a catering department. They got ham and all sorts of different things that we weren’t doing to offer for to-go with specials. So if like that call the 763-424-4365 and get the catering department up and they’ll, have your meal all boxed up and ready to go free on Sunday, or you can pick it up cold on Saturday. But if you pick it up on Sunday, you’ll be ready to go and lay it on the table and eat.
Jake
So right now, are you doing an abbreviated menu just the specials or full menu?
Mike
We did. Right out of the gun. Pull some of our menu back. Just the stuff that we didn’t feel was great to box up and traveling like Steaks and tuna and some of the sushi that we had in our new summer menu. You know, we’re still offering 60 items, it’s on our Web page, on Facebook and stuff, a little bit of our abbreviated menu. And then we’ve got the great to go specials each night. OK.
Jake
Oh, yeah, that sounds great. So where can we find out more information if, you know, we want to place an order or anything like that?
Mike
You want it delivered. We came up with food dudes, doordash. We’re up. OK. If you want to come pick it up here at the Lookout We have curbside. Or walk into one of our two host stands at the door there and we will do a noncontact transaction. And it’s taken care of. Call ahead. Or one of the offsite companies. Call them directly. You’ll give us a call. Call 763-424-4365 ext 1, and one of our people will take your order and get you all taken care of.
Jake
OK, that sounds great. Well, thank you so much for being on with us here today. And thank you for providing some entertainment and food for Maple Grove.
Mike
We’ve been here 63 years and were hoping another 63 years.
