Tasha Klein, new Leaker’s Place owner
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LEAKER’S PLACE UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP — Tasha Klein (pictured above) recently stood in front of the four bowling Lanes at Leaker’s Place in Glenwood City. Klein, along with her husband Joel, recently purchased the well-known Glenwood City business from longtime owners and operators Larry “Leaker” and Cheryl Standaert. The Kleins took over operations of the bowling center and bar on July 1. The couple, who intend to keep the “Leaker’s Place” moniker, have already remodeled the bar-side of the business.
—photo by Shawn DeWitt
By Missy Klatt
GLENWOOD CITY – Glenwood City welcomes the newest downtown business owner, bright and bubbly, Tasha Klein who bought Leaker’s Place after Larry and Cheryl Standaert decided to step down after 30 years in the business. Although new to owning a business, Tasha has experience in the bar industry, having been a bartender in Deer Park for four years. Then, when her children were young the hours working at a bar weren’t conducive to raising a family so she worked at Northwire in Osceola but, her dream was to always own a bar.
She states that the opportunity to own Leaker’s came along at just the right time. Unfortunately, her youngest son died about a year ago. He had had heart issues since he was born. So, she says that purchasing the bar has given her a really good new focus.
Besides doing some updating and remodeling, that has already lightened up the bar, and adding three big new flat screen TVs there are no big changes planned for the near future. Klein wants to get to know her customers and the community. She says that the TVs are ready for Packer season to start and she wants to squelch any rumors that she is a Viking fan, she is a PACKER FAN!
Klein, who lives in Dresser, states that it takes her about 48 minutes to an hour to travel to Glenwood City but so far she hasn’t minded the commute. “It’s beautiful this way,” notes Klein. I remarked, wait till winter comes to which she laughs and replied that she might have to get a truck.
Something that Klein doesn’t have any experience with is the bowling aspect of Leaker’s. However, Cheryl has offered to meet with Klein to help her set up the leagues so Glenwood’s local bowlers will still have their usual leagues when the season starts. “It’s a good thing back there [as she gestures towards the lanes], I don’t want to mess anything up, I want to keep going as it has been. I have no plans on changing anything with that.” Klein knows that was a concern that there might not be any bowling, but Klein assures us that it’s not going anywhere.
Besides the leagues, she also plans on continuing with open bowling, birthday parties and maybe even starting a kids’ bowling league next summer.
Klein has a positive attitude, stating, “This first year it’s all about trying and seeing what works and what doesn’t and what there is interest in.”
As far as the bar goes, things will be pretty much status quo. She has heard that there are two places in town that have good food so there are no plans to add any food in the future but they still have the frozen pizzas and the wizard pizza fries. Cheryl’s grandson said that she couldn’t get rid of them if she wanted to keep the bar so she’s keeping them.
She loves the community here, the small town. “It’s just been wonderful and all the customers have been wonderful.” Right now, she is keeping the same hours. Non-bowling hours are 3 p.m. to close Tuesday thru Saturday. She’s happy to be starting slow before Rustic Lore Days and bowling starts up this fall. “Getting my feet wet and getting everything figured out. It’s working okay in that sense.”
The “New Leaker’s’ Place” Grand Opening Party will be Saturday, August 28th starting at 1 p.m. It’s being dubbed as: the First Annual Leaker’s’ Place Chicken and Corn Feed. It will be a free will donation with all the proceeds going to the Glenwood City Fire Department this first year. She’s hoping that this will be a success that they can continue for years to come with the proceeds going to various nonprofits in the community. They will have music, door prizes, and specials all day.
Klein wants to get to know people, to know faces, to give a good customer experience. “I want people to come in here and smile.” She’s already gotten to know some of her regulars and their favorite drinks.
Besides keeping the Leaker’s’ Place name, Klein also plans to keep up some of the traditions started by Leaker (Larry Standaert) which include sponsoring the kiddie tractor pull after the Rustic Lore Days Parade, having a bean bag tournament during Rustic Lore Days and she will also be sponsoring a softball team during Rustic Lore Days this year. She believes that keeping up traditions in a small community is important.
Leaker has been wonderful to her, offering to help with any questions that she might have.
In conclusion to this new beginning in her life Klein remarks, “I think it’s going to be fun.”
