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The Victoria

GAZETTE

July 2011

         "We're open 365 days a year," stated Brenda.  "Christmas and Thanksgiving are wonderful days here.  There are people who don't care to cook on the holidays as well as people who don't have people to cook for."

         Mike pointed out, "We're here a lot because we want to be, not because we have to be.  We want to make one friend at a time.  We always say, ‘Never let Vic’s be too small for all of our friends."

         Vic's Bar and Grill also features live music every Saturday night with no cover charge. "There is no cover ever!” Mike emphasized.  "That's our motto.  We have rock 'n roll bands to country bands to bands who play original music.  People really like the Tuxedo Band, Blue Ribbon, Bandits and Colfax, which all have great followings.  We have a nice variety of music.  On Fridays we have open jukebox where people can pick what they want to hear."

         The new acoustical ceiling at Vic's helps keep the sound under control.  "We get a lot of compliments on our music system," said Mike.

         The ceiling above the new bar is not acoustical however, and it has become known as the Dollar Ceiling.  Brenda demonstrated how to fold a quarter and a tack inside a paper dollar and then adeptly sling it to the ceiling where it sticks -- until New Year's Day. 

         "Then we take down all the dollars and contribute it to a charity," said Brenda.  "This last New Year's Day we gave $350 to Safe Alternatives, a charitable organization in St. Paul."

         Vic's outdoor patio has really become a popular place in Victoria as it overlooks Stieger Lake and the bike path and is surrounded by flower boxes and a friendly atmosphere.  "We put in pavers to define our patio and extended them all the way to the patio at the Victoria House," said Mike.  "We really think it is a great addition here.  And, of course, we give free dog treats to those pets lucky enough to accompany their owners to the patio.”

         Brenda said people have also learned that Vic's is a great place to hold birthday parties and class reunions.  "We cater to what people want," she said, pointing out that a lot of patrons like to watch sports at Vic's.  "We've got six large flat screens now and so it's possible to watch six different games at one time.  We've got customers who are Viking fans, Twins fans, Nascar fans, Wild fans.  It's a good place for any sports fans and we've always got room for more."

***

         How did Vic the Blue Dog come to be such an integral part of the Victoria Bar and Grill?  "We were on a cruise, in a bar in St. Maarten that had a dog as a mascot when we learned we were getting Schmitty's  back," said Mike.  "We wanted to change the image of the place and make it new in as many ways as possible, which meant a name change.  Well, Brenda wanted to name it the Blue Dog Bar."

         Said Brenda, "We had twelve hours to come up with a name, because of paper work that had to be filed, and Mike chose the name Victoria Bar and Grill."

         "And I let her use the blue dog in our logo so everybody was happy," said Mike.  "Then it got shortened to Vic's Bar and Grill so Vic became the name of our blue dog.  Did you see the new rug in our entry?  I had it made as a surprise for Brenda."  The new rug features Vic the Blue Dog along with some of his paw prints.

         Any more cruises in the offing?  "We do like to travel," said Brenda, "and that includes visiting our kids who live all over the country.  Lucky for us, when we travel we have a wonderful staff here at Vic's to take care of things.  We were gone three weeks for my son's wedding and when we got back, they hadn't missed a beat.  They are the best.”

         Thank you, Mike and Brenda, for improving another corner of Victoria and thank you for introducing us to Vic the Blue Dog.