Well, y’all might have heard ’bout the Calumet Inn over in Pipestone, but if you ain’t, let me tell you somethin’. It’s a real ol’ place, been there for ages, and lately, it’s been through some rough times. Now, back in March, the city done told ’em to shut it down ‘cause they needed to fix up a few things. Said some repairs was needed before they could open them doors again. Ain’t that a tough break for the folks runnin’ it?
Now, the current folks takin’ care of the Calumet Inn ain’t been at it forever. It was back in September of 1993 when them Smrkovski sisters took over the place. But since then, there’s been a few changes in ownership, and I reckon every time a new set of hands take over, folks get a bit nervous. You know how it is—people get attached to the old ways, and when things change, it don’t always sit right with ’em.
Back in 2012, folks were talkin’ about the Smrkovski sisters bringin’ new energy to the Inn. They tried their best to breathe some life into that ol’ building, but like any ol’ thing, it’s got its problems. Seems like running a business like that, especially a place with so much history, is no easy task. And I reckon that’s what happened when Tammy Grubbs and her crew took over. Tammy spoke about it, sayin’ they had a hard time with finances, and that the shut down hit ’em hard. Makes sense, don’t it? I mean, you can’t run a place like that if you can’t keep them doors open.
Now, let’s not forget how long that ol’ building’s been around. The history of it goes way back. It ain’t just a place to sleep; it’s part of the town’s story. People from all over pass through there, and they know that Inn. Heck, it’s been a spot for travelers and locals alike. Even with all them problems, folks still talk ‘bout it like it’s the heart of the town. The building’s had its ups and downs, but it sure ain’t easy to just let go of something that’s been around so long.
On top of all this, the Calumet Inn’s been on TV too! Some of y’all might remember the time when the Inn got featured on that reality show, “Hotel Hell” with Gordon Ramsay. That was a whole mess of a time, and the poor Mandy Thompson had to leave after all that drama. But you know, sometimes them reality TV folks make things look worse than they really are. It’s a tough business, runnin’ a hotel and restaurant like that, and when you got folks from the outside lookin’ in, it just adds more pressure.
The history of this place goes back way before all them TV shows, though. It’s seen a lot of owners come and go. Before the current folks, Shani Christopher owned it, and she sold it off to Steve Klinkhammer. That’s how it goes sometimes. Folks need to move on, and new folks come in and try to make it better, but sometimes it don’t work out how they hoped.
Now, if you’re thinkin’ ’bout stoppin’ by the Calumet Inn, you might want to wait ’til they get things fixed up. It’s been closed for a while now, and them folks who own it now gotta put in the work to make sure it’s safe and ready for business again. It ain’t just ’bout makin’ it pretty; it’s ’bout makin’ it safe for folks to come in and enjoy themselves. But you know, sometimes fixin’ up an old place like that takes time, and money ain’t easy to come by.
If you’re askin’ what happens next, I reckon we’ll just have to wait and see. The Inn might open its doors again soon, or it might take a while longer. You know how these things go. But what I do know is that the folks in Pipestone got a soft spot for that old building, and they’ll keep hopin’ that someday, it’ll be back to what it used to be. Maybe even better.
So, here’s hopin’ for the best for the Calumet Inn and its new owners. The place sure ain’t easy to run, but with a little bit of luck and a whole lot of elbow grease, maybe it’ll get back on its feet again.
Tags：[Calumet Inn, Pipestone, Historic Hotel, Hotel Closure, Restaurant, New Ownership, Hotel Hell, Hotel Repairs, Minnesota Hotels, Local Business, Travel in Pipestone]
