MINNEAPOLIS— If you’ve ever dreamed of quitting your day job and opening a bed and breakfast, spa or music venue, you’re not alone.
And that business idea in your head can be influenced by where you live, from the culture to the landscape.
Marketbeat.com wanted to find out what kind of companies Americans dream of owning, so they surveyed 3,000 people.
The best choice for Minnesotans: Scandinavian coffee shop and bakery. Drawing on the state’s Scandinavian heritage, the website said many Minnesotans dream of owning a cafe that celebrates Scandinavian traditions. We at WCCO thought: let’s find someone who makes this dream come true.
Fika Coffee is located in Lutsen on the north coast. In addition to serving drinks, the café has also been roasting beans since 2012.
Fika is Swedish for ‘coffee break’, but it really embodies what the profession is all about, such as relaxing, socializing with friends and family and enjoying a hot cup of coffee. We asked the owner, Joshua Lindstrom, why he thinks Minnesotans consider owning his business a dream job.
“When a visitor or guest comes in, they say, ‘Oh, your coffee is just the best.’ And the caveat is you also woke up looking at Lake Superior. And you’re going to hike and see amazing waterfalls, so there are all these things that contribute to that,” he said.
Lindstrom added that since so many people routinely drink coffee, taking ownership of that daily activity and the positives that come with it could be an attractive business opportunity.
The other top picks for Minnesotans weren’t all that surprising.
Owning a wilderness lodge and adventure outfitter fits the outdoor lifestyle perfectly.
Next was owning a brewery, of which we know there are over 100 in the state.
But what about other states?
In Wisconsin, the dream business is a resort and spa on Lake Geneva, not far from the Illinois border.
People in Tennessee love their music, so of course they dream of owning a Honky-Tonk bar in Nashville.
New Mexico was unique. The people there want to run a hot air balloon company in Albuquerque, which we learned hosts the largest balloon festival in the world. Pennsylvania’s choice also stood out: people who wanted to run an art gallery in Philadelphia.
