Q&A with Yvette Maijala

Louisiana native and Magnolia Café owner Yvette Maijala doesn't mind how you pronounce her first name, but it does make her a little crazy when people hack her surname - pronounced MY-a-la (the "j" is silent).

The Cajun transplant came by that very Finnish last name by falling in love with Arne Majaila, an Esko native, when the two of them were young adults working in western Washington.

Now they live in rural Carlton County and have (almost) raised two kids: Anja, a college sophomore who is a cross-country skier for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is studying conservation and wildlife biology, and A.J., a sophomore at Cloquet High School who is involved in all kinds of things, from running to skiing to theater.

But this story is not about the kids for once. It's about Yvette, the entrepreneur, the runner and skier, the organizer, the small-business owner who set up shop in Carlton the summer of 2017 and hasn't looked back since.

Her café sits at 206 Third Street (aka Highway 45) in the heart of Carlton, just down from the Carlton County Courthouse in the old Hubner Building. In the summer months, there's often an ice cream cooler manned by a high-school-aged boy. Other times a person could follow his or her nose, or Facebook, to find Yvette outside deep-frying beignets, French donuts that are popular in the south.

"It's random. I just pop it up on Facebook (Magnolia Café Carlton) or the website (www.MagnoliaCafeCarlton.com) and I sell out every time. It's fun to see who will come out for a donut."

It's about more than food though, said the entrepreneur. A book club meets at the coffee shop once a month, and a group of ladies come for supper and drinks after activities such as hiking or biking, or even a recent Nordic skiing adventure on the Hilltop soccer fields earlier this week. She also offers classes on coffee through Community Ed a few times a year.

"Different things like that, to be more than just a restaurant, be a place where the community can come and be and share," she said.

The Pine Knot News sat down with Yvette Maijala earlier this week to find out what is new with her and her ever-expanding business.

Pine Knot News: You were technology coordinator for the Cloquet School District for 22 years before you opened the Magnolia Café; how did this [the cafe] come about?

Yvette Maijala: This was a long-term goal of mine. I worked in the food industry all through college at a resort in Louisiana, and we did a lot of catering. My college summers I worked at a resort in Olympic National Park and did food. And my background is business management and I've always wanted to start my own business, to become my own boss. So about four years ago, I started working on a business plan.

I worked with the UMD economic development program, did a little business planning and had the UMD students do a feasibility study and help me find a location. Carlton identified as a good place, with the bike trail and the park. It could sustain this business, as long as I did more than coffee drinks [they were the first to serve espresso in Carlton].

Last November the back (space) opened up when a tenant moved out and I was able to expand and put in a bigger counter, prep stations, sinks and my oven, so I can do my own baking, which is wonderful.

I am really focused on being a healthy option, so we do vegan and gluten-free options of food choices. We buy foods from farmers in the area, our daily soups are made from scratch and sandwiches are all prepped as ordered. We also have a sustainability program where we compost and recycle in-house.

PKN: What has been your biggest surprise since you opened up?

Yvette: My biggest surprise has been the catering side. I've had a lot of work come from outside these four walls; I think it's a big plus that the community is ready to have more offerings. I do a lot of meetings and private parties. The other piece is I do a lot of work with the Oldenburg House. That's been a really nice part of my job, expanding outside of the café. I can meet people and do things for people at the Oldenburg House.

PKN: Which brings us to the Magnolia Salon - what exactly is that?

Yvette: The Magnolia Salon was something Emily (Swanson, of Oldenburg House) and I concocted. I wanted to have a concept where people could come and we'd have a topic and conversation. But I'm limited with space. She was like, Let's do it here, at the Oldenburg home. So they are in charge of finding speakers and I provide food and beverages. And now that I have my liquor license, we also have a cocktail hour as well.

PKN: If you could have dinner with any four living people, not family members, who would it be?

Yvette: First, Mr. Rogers, because he shaped my life. Sorry, I forgot he died. Second: Paul Prudhomme - or humorist and Cajun chef Justin Wilson, if you let me have another dead person at the table. But Paul Prudhomme is alive and a wonderful chef. I do a Cajun dish every Thursday, so I'd love to have one of them there.

Third: Carole King, I think she's an amazing songwriter. I think her music is beautiful and I would enjoy visiting and having conversation with her.

And last, I couldn't decide between Danny Duncan (a YouTube star) and Scott Jurek (the famous ultramarathon runner who was born and raised in Proctor). Danny Duncan is one of A.J.'s favorites, what a goofball. But hanging out with Scott Jurek would be very cool.

PKN: What would you tell other women who want to start their own business?

Yvette: Go for it. Jump and take the next step. Our Café shirts all have a common phrase on them that reflects the common goal: DO Good! Enjoy the coffee and don't worry!