Brickyard eatery is up for sale

After 32 years, Byron and Caroline Johnson are ready to retire from the restaurant business. The Brickyard Restaurant in Wrenshall has been up for sale for about a month.

“It’s been 32 years, I’m ready to retire,” Byron Johnson said.

He said he hopes the business will go to another couple and the family-friendly, community meeting spot the couple maintained remains.

The building and business, which is listed for $390,000, was built in 1990 by the community through fundraising and shared labor. Area residents wanted a place to get a cup of coffee and a bite to eat and there wasn’t one. The Johnsons took over the operation with $50,000, enough for the community to get a return on its investment.

Its name is derived from Wrenshall history from a century ago, when it was a major center for brickmaking. The exterior of the restaurant contains bricks made in Wrenshall that were reclaimed from an old barn.

Byron Johnson said they wanted to list the restaurant before the busy summer season. He said despite the prospect of no longer running the place, they will remain “still busy. I got a lot of other stuff to do around the house.”