The Growler: One town’s pitch for why you should want to be their neighbor

An idea board used by Bodega Ltd. // Photo courtesy Bodega Ltd.

EXCERPT: “The gurgling shriek of a milk steamer and smell of fresh pour-over coffee fills the air of Bean and Brush Creative Coffee. Vintage-inspired asterisk-shaped chandeliers illuminate the art on the walls. Four children chase each other, dodging brightly colored chairs and glancing every so often at their moms, who are relaxing in armchairs in the middle of the cafe. It’s a scene that could be found in any metropolitan area anywhere. But this isn’t a major city, or even a suburb: it’s the town of Hallock, population 981, located among the farm fields and prairie lands of far northwestern Minnesota. A trendy coffee shop in a small town isn’t groundbreaking news. However, Bean and Brush is just one of several new businesses and initiatives that have taken root in Hallock in the last few years, all striving to reinvigorate the seat of Kittson County and challenge the misconception that rural towns are doomed.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2SFsBeG