— Two different restaurants. One location. One is open for lunch, the other is open for dinner. Is this a concept that would work?
To the owners of
and
, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
La Ferme, which has been around since 2013, is owned by the husband-wife team of Matthew and Amber Jensen.
Happy Haus BBQ, which opened just a few weeks ago, is also owned by a husband-wife team, Cory and Lacy McDowell.
How did the two restaurants end up in the same location?
Amber Jensen said that she and Matthew had been discussing the idea of a community kitchen for years. A community kitchen would allow them to rent out their licensed kitchen to other small entrepreneurs with dreams and ideas of sharing their food with the public.
Cory McDowell approached the Jensens late last summer about possibly using their kitchen for catering purposes.
The Jensens said that after meeting with Cory and vividly seeing his passion for BBQ and what his long term goals were, they thought it would be a great fit for him to come into their space and try running a restaurant.
In February 2024, the Jensens discontinued their regular dinner service at
to give them more time to launch their second business –
. This business allows them to host multi-course dinners on Minnesota farms featuring the ingredients grown right there.
“Our goal is to showcase local Minnesota food and promote the farmers growing it,” said Amber. “In addition, giving guests a unique dining experience and hopefully a new resource for local food.”
Although their decision left La Ferme dark and empty in the evenings, it re-ignited their dream of sharing their space.
La Ferme is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
is open Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.
Both restaurants can be found at
in Alexandria.
Opening the new restaurant
Lacy McDowell said that she and husband decided to open Happy Haus BBQ because it combines their passions and values.
“Cory has a deep passion for smoking BBQ,” said Lacy. “He loves the craft, the tradition and how it brings people together.
Cory also has some southern roots that he wants to share with the community. Menu items include brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, black eyed peas and more.
The McDowells said they have always valued bringing people together to share life over a great meal and wanted to create a space where that could happen. And the location shared with La Ferme fit that space.
As a family-run establishment, Lacy said they are fortunate enough to have the support and involvement of their two children, as well as their parents, a nephew and a niece – all of whom play an integral role in running the restaurant.
As for the name of their new restaurant, Lacy said that the name “Happy Haus” originated from their love of hosting people in their home.
“Building community while enjoying a meal is a large part of how our family spends our time and utilizes our home,” she said. “We wanted our restaurant to feel like an extension of that – a welcoming place where everyone can feel at home and share in that joy.”
What is it like sharing the space?
Although it has only been a few weeks, the Jensens said so far, it feels good.
“It takes a lot of trust and open communication,” said Amber. “Cory and Lucy exude these qualities giving us assurance and comfort in sharing what has been our second home for almost 12 years.”
She also said that she and Matthew know the challenges of running a restaurant and that they are available to support the McDowells and Happy Haus BBQ any way they can.
“It’s nice knowing people are enjoying food in our establishment, even if it is someone else’s,” Amber said.
Contributed photo / Lacy McDowell
The two couples agreed that there are many benefits to collaborating and sharing their space. Together, they can promote each other, share the expense of running a brick and mortar building, bounce ideas off one another and broaden their network of supporters.
The McDowells said they have been incredibly grateful for the support they have received and the excitement shown by the community and that they look forward to serving the area with some “incredible barbecue.”
On Jan. 23, La Ferme expanded their market, where customers can order meats, sauces and baked goods. They are now regularly offering sourdough bread from
out of Starbuck, which is owned by husband and wife, Roscoe Fowler and Jenny Bredeken.
“
have been doing bread drops once a week at La Ferme, which required people to pre-order and pick up on a specific date and time,” said Amber. “We will now carry it on hand on a regular basis at La Ferme.”
She also said that the couple also plan to do some bread making classes at the La Ferme/Happy Haus BBQ location coming up soon. The dates will be posted on their social media accounts.
The Jensens said that sustainability has always been the heart of their core values when it comes to buying local, repurposing, recycling, composting and lowering their carbon footprint. By not only leasing their building to the new owners, but also offering local products from other small business owners, it’s just another way for them to do that.
Celeste Edenloff is the special projects editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked for the Echo Press as a reporter from 1999 to 2011, and returned in 2016 to once again report on the community she calls home.