Kaiserhoff: 'It's where

New Ulm goes to meet'

Restaurant

honored as

Industry/Business of the Year

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Don Veigel celebrated the honor of being named New Ulm's Industry/Business of the Year Thursday by doing what he does best, hosting a few hundred of his dearest friends with food, drink and music at Veigel's Kaiserhoff.

In fact, Veigel was more the host of honor than the guest of honor.

"Wow! You really know how to throw a party," said Mayor Arnold Koelpin in delivering a proclamation making Thursday Kaiserhoff Day in New Ulm. "This is supposed to be for YOU."

The New Ulm Chamber of Commerce selected the Kaiserhoff for the honor this year, and Chamber Board Chairman Steve Lawrence gave a hint why. When the Chamber selection committee got together to consider its choices, where did it meet, he asked? At the Kaiserhoff. It's where New Ulm goes to meet.

Koelpin cited the Kaiserhoff's long history in New Ulm, and its economic impact on the community. The restaurant was opened on Jan. 6, 1938, by Albert and Minnie Veigel, Don's parents. Don worked at the restaurant that first day, and is still there 63 years later.

Koelpin said the Kaiserhoff is renowned far beyond New Ulm's borders, and said that when he first heard of New Ulm in the 1950s, people told him he had to go to the Kaiserhoff to try the ribs.

Jeannie Albrecht, president of the Chamber, said one of the most frequent questions her staff answers for visitors each day is where to find the restaurant that serves those wonderful ribs.

Veigel thanked the thousands of customers who have kept coming to the restaurant over the years, including those who have been customers since the early days.

"One of them was in here the other day," said Veigel, "and he said nothing has changed, except one thing. I said, 'Oh?' He said, 'Yeah, back then an order of ribs was 45 cents.'"

Veigel credited his faithful employees with the restaurant's success.

"You've got to have help. I've been blessed with good employees, some of the best you could ever hope to find. Like Sally Mielke in the kitchen, still working here after 51 years. Delores Schugel's here too, she's been here 36 years. Lindsey Friedley, our chef, he's been here 23 years. Phil Lund, our grill man, 17 years."

"And the waitresses. I had one waitress come over to me from Eibner's, she was 17 years old. She said, 'Donnie, when I turn 18, can I come work for you?' I said sure. When she turned 18 she said, 'Donnie, here I am.' But she said she could only work for the summer, because she was going to college. That was 36 years ago -- Kay Gerasch. Then there's Lorraine Herzog, 32, years, and Patty Gutzke, 30 years."

Veigel also credited his wife, Jan. "She's one of the reasons I'm still here." Veigel said Jan has done just about every job in the place, from grilling to mopping the floor, to booking banquets and planning remodeling.

Veigel said he had only one regret.

"I wish my dad and my mom could be here to see this," he said. "They started it all."