042024_RV_E01_c_Business

Shop brews
up coworking
space in back
THE HEARTBEAT OF N’WEST IOWA GROWTH
BY MIKAELA MACKEY
MMACKEY@NWESTIOWA.COM
SECTION E
APRIL 20, 2024
THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW
Area at Kweken Co. available
with daily, monthly passes
BY MIKAELA MACKEY
MMACKEY@NWESTIOWA.COM
ORANGE CITY—Kweken Co. is brewing community
in more ways than one.
When McKenzie Kuiken opened her dream
coffee shop in Orange City in September, she
knew the rarest ingredient of Kweken Co. still
was to come.
On Monday, April 8, McKenzie debuted a
coworking space inspired by when she and her
husband, Michael, lived in Seattle.
“There’s a door that divides the front half,
which is the coffee shop that’s been open and
then our coworking space in the back. And,
basically, to be able to use that back space,
people will either need to purchase a monthly
membership, which is what we’re hoping most
folks will do just because it’s the best value and
lets people come and use the space as much or
as little as they want in a month’s time, or there’s
an option for a day pass. So if we have people
that are passing through or people who just
want to try it out and see if it’s going to work
See KWEKEN on page E10
Nadine Stull, better known as “Fritz,” runs The Hideout in Germantown
with her partner, Mike Rabe, or “Buzzard.” Fritz breads and
fries The Hideout’s chicken herself. Photos by Mikaela Mackey
McKenzie Kuiken is the owner of Kweken Co
in Orange City. She opened the coffee shop in
September. The coworking space in the back
portion on April 8. Photo by Mikaela Mackey
HIDEOUT
ERMANTOWN—Sometimes
word-of-mouth is the greatest
advertising ploy; that is, when
it’s earned.
The Hideout, a Germantown
restaurant that opened
in 1950, has earned it. The business
has no website, social media or any
online presence as owner Nadine
Stull, better known as “Fritz,” said
she’s “computer illiterate.”
The rural hub used to be a restaurant,
grocery store, gas pump and
service garage in the ’40s. Although
services have changed, not much
else has. While sitting at the bar, Fritz
pointed up to the right corner of the
restaurant above the beer cooler.
“When that light bulb was on,
somebody was pumping gas,” she
said. “The hoist is still under the floor
in the back room.”
See CHICKEN on page E8
On the North Wall of The Hideout dining area hangs
a map of the United States. Customers from around
the world hang pins when they visit the town hub.
GERMANTOWN RESTAURANT
KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD
FOR ITS BROASTED CHICKEN

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E2
BUSINESS
Dykstra keeps grounded by opening coffee shop
Faith-based barista
got idea in high school
BY RENEE WIELENGA
RWIELENGA@NWESTIOWA.COM
SIOUX CENTER—Business has
been booming since one Sioux Center
resident flipped the “Open” sign
on her new business at the end of
January.
Twenty-one-year-old Gracie Dykstra
is excited about the community’s
response to New Grounds Coffee Co.
located at 85 W. First St., which formerly
housed Butlers Cafe & Coffee.
“It’s been exciting,” Dykstra said.
“Having people in the doors, making
connections — I was looking forward
to that and am excited about how it’s
going.”
Hours are 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday
and Thursday; 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday; 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday.
On the drink menu are espressobased
items such as lattes, cappuccinos,
mochas, Americanos and
macchiatos as well as brewed coffee,
smoothies and lotus energy drinks.
On the baked goods menu are muffins,
cinnamon rolls, cookies and
energy balls made with oatmeal and
peanut butter.
The lunch menu available 11 a.m.-
2 p.m. during business days includes
four sandwich options.
Dykstra’s love for coffee deepened
in high school as she discovered
all the varieties of espresso-based
drinks while attending Western
AT A GLANCE:
Business: New Grounds
Coffee Co.
Owner: Gracie Dykstra
Address: 85 W. First St., Sioux
Center
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday
and Thursday; 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday and
Friday; 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Phone: 712-722-4055
E-mail: newgroundscco@
gmail.com
Online: Facebook and
Instagram
Christian High School in Hull. The
idea of opening her own coffee shop
came up while enrolled in two-year
administrative assistant program at
Dordt University in Sioux Center.
“After the first year in the program
I started thinking about owning my
own business because I couldn’t see
myself sitting in an office all day,”
Dykstra said. “I wanted the business
to have a faith-based atmosphere.
The idea of a coffee shop kept coming
back up in my mind.”
Then, just a couple months before
she graduated from Western Christian
in May 2022, Habitué Coffeehouse
& Bakery owner Cheryl Wells
of Le Mars, came to speak to one of
Dykstra’s classes.
“She spoke about her coffeehouse
Gracie Dykstra opened New Grounds Coffee Co. in the former Butlers Cafe &
Coffee shop location in Sioux Center. Business hours are Monday-Saturday.
New Grounds Coffee Co. owner Gracie Dykstra of Sioux Center tops a coffee drink with some whipped cream. Dykstra
opened her coffee shop in January at 85 W. First St. in downtown Sioux Center. Photos by Renee Wielenga
but also this ministry they have as
well and it all just resonated with this
idea I had,” Dykstra said. “I went up
to talk with her after class, and she
basically offered me a job on the spot,
so that’s where I went to work after I
graduated.”
For a year and half, Dykstra gained
firsthand barista and ministry
experience sharing her work hours
between the coffeehouse and The
Living Center, which is a ministry
center next door to the coffeehouse
and houses a nonprofit called Side by
Side Ministries.
“Having that background knowledge
by working in the coffee industry
— seeing what works and what
doesn’t, getting to know the products,
the flow of the business and just
being poured into and trained up in
that was huge,” Dykstra said. “I could
have lived out my dream of starting a
coffee shop without that, but it would
have been much harder. Looking
back on it all, everything that’s led
up to this point has truly been God’s
plan for me in how the education and
training all came together.”
Dykstra did not realize just how
soon God had in mind for her to
open her own business.
“While working at Habitué learning
and growing, I was trusting God
to provide a place for me that would
be the right time and place,” she said.
“When I heard about Butlers closing
in August, I reached out to the
owners of the building and started
praying about if it was the right space
and time. Personally, I didn’t think I
would open a business at my age. I
was unsure, so my family and I, we
came and saw the building and I
pressed into prayer to know if it was
really something I should do and I
felt a peace about doing it.”
She officially said yes to the building
and her dream in October.
“I was trusting that what I didn’t
know yet or understand the Lord will
help me with and provide people
to help me and He’s definitely done
that,” Dykstra said.
Friends and family supported Dykstra
in helping paint and revamp the
business’ interior to give it a lighter,
more open vibe. She also worked
through the hiring process to have
one assistant manager and eight
part-time staff.
Leaning into her faith also led Dykstra
to the name of her business.
“While I was still at Dordt, I
received an encouraging prayer and
in that note, there was a sentence
that talked about breaking ‘new
grounds,’” Dykstra said. “I felt that
would be a great fit for a coffee shop
someday by combining my interest
in coffee and faith.”
That idea solidified into an official
name after reading through The Message
version of John 11:15b, which
says, “you’re about to be given new
grounds for believing” — a verse now
printed on the walls inside the cafe.
“I hope that this is a place people
can connect not only with good coffee
but with friends, community,
even connect with Christ,” Dykstra
said.
She hopes to use the space for
more praise and worship nights as
she did on Good Friday evening as
well as well continue to build community
support — one of the main
reasons she is excited to be located in
Sioux Center.
“In my heart, this is where I wanted
to be because this community is so
knit together, so supportive of small
businesses,” Dykstra said. “I’m excited
to meet more people through this
business and provide a space to help
others build community as well.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E3
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SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E4
Opportunity works out
for new fitness business
BUSINESS
Couples transform former
tumbling studio into gym
BY RENEE WIELENGA
RWIELENGA@NWESTIOWA.COM
SIOUX CENTER—Moving one Sioux Center
business to a new location provided the perfect
opportunity for a couple to open a second business.
After Adam and Robin Fedders opened Studio
R Acrobatics & Tumbling at its new location
Jan. 29, the couple along with the help staff
and fitness coaches Joel and Chelsea Gonzalez
of Sioux Center repainted the interior of the
downtown space at 341 N. Main Ave. to create
a gym and physical fitness center called R Fitness,
which opened Feb. 5.
“Health, taking care of the body God gave us,
is so important to us,” Robin said. “It’s so amazing
how God has allowed us to not only open
one but two businesses that provide ways in
which we can help others learn how to use and
take care of their good bodies God gave them,
whether they’re a student doing acrobatics and
tumbling, or an adult interested in the using
the gym or coming to fitness classes.”
R Fitness opening
While Robin had a tumbling background, she
Advanced Studio R Acrobatics & Tumbling student
Ariel Stahlecker practices a standing back
handspring with the support of owner Robin
Fedders during class on Jan. 29, the opening
day of the new studio space in Sioux Center.
AT A GLANCE:
Business: R Fitness
Owners: Adam and Robin Fedders of
Sioux Center
Address: 341 N. Main Ave., Sioux Center
Phone: 712-463-2674
Classes: 5 a.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 4:15 and
5:15 p.m. Monday-Friday; 7 a.m. Saturday.
E-mail: rfitness712@gmail.com
Online: studiortumbling.com; Facebook.
and Adam also enjoyed CrossFit training. Since
CrossFit BKN in Sioux Center closed in early
2020, the couple held CrossFit-style classes
called Stronger U at the former downtown
tumbling studio. However, such classes were
limited to morning times due to the studio
being used by students most afternoons and
early evenings.
Joel and Chelsea Gonzalez attended those
classes as they, too, had been members of the
former CrossFit gym.
“There was this desire to have afternoon
times for classes, and we’d been hearing that
Sioux Center could use another fitness center,”
Adam said. “Knowing Joel had been thinking
about opening a gym, and we’d have this space
open once the studio moved out, we thought
we’d work together to open that new gym
space.”
R Fitness is not a certified CrossFit gym but
does offer CrossFit-style classes and open gym
time for members to use the equipment that
includes free weights, stationary bikes, benches,
row machines, rings, a squat stand, a cable
machine, a lat pull-down machine and more.
“CrossFit-style workouts involve functional
fitness, cardio and lifting,” Joel said. “What I
like most is that anybody can do it. If you don’t
know what it is, I encourage you to just try it out
and see what it’s like. I didn’t know how to do all
the lifts and things when I started. Anyone, any
age, can start.”
Classes have participants ranging in age from
30s-50s.
Classes are held at 5 a.m. Monday-Friday;
8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 4:15 and
5:15 p.m. Monday-Friday; and 7 a.m. Saturday.
Members who just want to come and exercise
on their own schedules have keypad access.
R Fitness owners Adam and Robin Fedders stand with R Fitness managers Chelsea and Joel
Gonzalez at the downtown Sioux Center site at 341 N. Main Ave. Photos by Renee Wielenga
Studio R upgrade
The downtown location in Sioux Center was
always meant to be a short-term space for
Studio R, which the Adam and Robin Fedders
opened in 2018.
The couple began thinking about a new
space sooner than they thought as having 50
students within two years of opening already
made the space feel tight, and they have 135
students enrolled for the 2023-24 school year.
As the couple began looking for a new space
to rent, a partnership with Midwest Electrical
Services Inc. owner Dan Reid of Sioux Center
developed as he owned land in town on which
he was looking to build to have more storage
for his business.
“He was doing some work in our downtown
space once, and we got to talking about us
needing a larger space but not able to find a
place in town that fit our needs,” Adam said.
“He called us later and shared his idea to partner,
and it felt like a really good fit.”
However, the coronavirus pandemic in 2020
increased building material prices and pushed
back construction of the new facility to 2023
in which Reid built a 9,600-square-foot facility
on a 0.70-acre lot on Second Avenue Northeast
and is leasing 6,800 square feet of that space to
the Fedderses.
The new studio space includes an entrance
“Health, taking care of the body God gave us,
is so important to us.”
ROBIN FEDDERS, STUDIO R CO-OWNER
AT A GLANCE:
Business: Studio R Acrobatics &
Tumbling
Owners: Adam and Robin Fedders of
Sioux Center
Address: 1170 Second Ave. NE, Sioux
Center
Phone: 712-441-1897
Hours: Open during classes.
E-mail: studio.r.tumbling@gmail.com
Online: studiortumbling.com; Facebook
area before entering the main floor that has a
sitting area, a 54-by-42-foot spring floor that
meets the competition cheer floor standards,
a 1 3/8-inch carpet floor area, a three-eighthsinch
rubber mat floor area and a 42-foot-long
Tumbl Trak.
The new spring floor is about four times
larger than what the previous studio had.
“We were definitely tight downtown, and the
students were feeling that as class sizes got bigger,”
Robin said.
She said she immediately noted students in
the new facility were moving better and feeling
more excited about having more space for
class.
“I’ve really seen students progress more in
their skills. This new space was so worth the
wait,” Robin said. “I’m excited to be here for a
long time and see what other possibilities this
space will provide.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E5
BUSINESS
Hobby of couple grows into business in Sheldon
They open downtown
site for design printing
BY MIKAELA MACKEY
MMACKEY@NWESTIOWA.COM
SHELDON—When Sebastian
Montoya and Makayla De Jong started
printing shirt designs two years
ago as a married couple pastime,
they had no idea the business that
would come out of it.
Montoya and De Jong of Boyden
opened EJ Designs Wednesday, April
17, in downtown Sheldon.
“We kind of started it together just
as a hobby,” De Jong said. “We would
go to like vendor fairs and things like
that — and then it grew exponentially.”
The couple started experimenting
with printing techniques like direct
to fabric heat transfer and vinyl
sublimation out of their home. With
Montoya’s first language being Spanish
and De Jong’s being English, they
were able to provide their services to
many people in the community as
well as outside of it.
Montoya started making TikTok
videos about the T-shirts he printed.
From there, sales exploded nationwide.
“We have a lot of small businesses
from around the country that we’re
their provider for like their uniforms
and their hats and all of their merchandise.
So, we’ve been sending to
Texas, California, New York, just all
over the place,” De Jong said. “Now
that we’ve had so many from around,
we’re actually getting more from
word-of-mouth from those clients.
So, people in Texas that have never
even seen his TikToks, but they talk to
this person, and they recommended
him.”
She said she and her husband are
working with 15-30 clients a week.
One of the aspects that helped their
business grow was Montoya’s jump
into embroidery last summer. Just
like the start of the business, De Jong
said Montoya did not care as much
about gaining popularity as he did
finding a new hobby.
“The big thing was he wanted to
start making hats,” she said.
Once the couple found an embroidery
machine for sale, Montoya
began embroidering clothes for anywhere
between a single hat gift order
to three-dozen shirts for a small business
staff.
Montoya’s TikTok-live videos and
We kind of started it
together just as a hobby.
We would go to like vendor
fairs and things like
that — and then it grew
exponentially.
Makayla De Jong
EJ DESIGNS CO-OWNER
AT A GLANCE:
Business: EJ Designs
Owners: Sebastian Montoya
and Makayla De Jong
Address: 310 Ninth St.,
Sheldon
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-
Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
Phone: 515-916-3254
Online: Facebook
reels have continued to be pivotal
to business growth. EJ Designs has
more than 4,700 followers on the one
video app alone.
“He was working on orders and
said, ‘I’m going to put it online and
just see what happens,’” De Jong
said. “People show up, and they’re
asking him questions about it, and
then he ends up talking to them on
the phone after he ends the live, and
they order with him.”
De Jong does not do embroidery
but helps with vinyl and sublimation
projects as well as working through
customer orders and translating
when needed.
The couple hopes to grow their
business as they grow as a family,
raising their 18-month-old son,
Giovanni Montoya.
The name EJ Designs stands for
Ethan John, the couple’s first baby
lost at 16 weeks of pregnancy. Montoya
and De Jong started EJ Designs
later that same year.
Five years married and new storefront
owners, the Montoya family
EJ Designs owner Sebastian Montoya embroiders an “in my sourdough era” T-shirt for sale. He opened his business’
first storefront with his wife, Makayla De Jong, on Wednesday, April 17, in downtown Sheldon. Photo submitted
knows how to grow from the ground
up. Doing much of the storefront
work themselves, Montoya and De
Jong built the cashier desk with their
own recycled floor panels. In addition,
De Jong said they were able to
find another embroidery machine
online, also helping to grow the business.
“We just got a second one, we actually
made a trade with someone on
Facebook. We just got it like this last
week, and it’s been amazing,” she
said. “It’s such a game-changer to
have two.”
Montoya and De Jong’s new location
in Sheldon will serve as an ondemand
print shop while they also
continue to take orders online across
the country. Prices will remain low
with $15 T-shirts, adding only a few
dollars for embroidery depending
on stitch count and the number of
colors.
Working in the opposite direction
of a typical small business, De
Jong said she and her husband look
forward to serving many customers
from coast-to-coast but hope to
focus on making a bigger impact in
the region, too.
“I hope that we can keep growing,”
she said. “Right now, we serve a lot of
people out of state, and I hope that
we can grow that local business as
well.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E6
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SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E7
BUSINESS
Dukes’ fitness business helps seniors stay in home
Physical therapist works
on strength and balance
BY MIKAELA MACKEY
MMACKEY@NWESTIOWA.COM
REGIONAL—Finding a home can be
difficult but staying in a home can be
harder.
Tyson Dukes founded a company
called InHome Fitness Solutions in
Osceola and Dickinson counties in
2018 to help elderly folks strengthen
their bodies and minds, so they can
live in their home for as long as possible.
“Our health-care system, unfortunately,
it’s a little bit more reactionary.
You don’t get access to somebody with
knowledge and expertise until something
bad happens a lot of times,”
Dukes said. “So I thought, ‘You know
what, why not offer a service where I
can have some expertise and help people
stay in their home as long as they
can, provide that support and provide
that useful knowledge and expertise
that I have in helping people with their
exercise, helping people with their
balance at home, to at least maintain
what they had gained previously from
the hospital or care service that they
were undergoing?’”
Dukes worked as a physical therapist
assistant for more than 20 years before
starting InHome Fitness Solutions.
Although InHome Fitness Solutions is
not physical therapy, Dukes has been
able to use his previous experience
to partner with other senior fitness
specialists, like Heather Marco based
in Sibley, that families can hire to assist
seniors in unique ways.
“We go out and work with people
on strength and balance and those
type of things within your home. The
other division is we offer personal care,”
Dukes said. “Personal care is nonmedical
assistance within the home to help
people that might need assistance with
light housekeeping, they might need
assistance with meal prep, they might
need assistance getting a bath, they
might need assistance getting to and
from a doctor, they might just need
companionship. A lot of times the people
that we see, we might be the only
person they see during the week. So, it’s
important to have that social outlet at
times to the outside world.”
Although Dukes said he is familiar
with other agencies in the area that
work in personal care with the elderly,
InHome Fitness Solutions is the only
one to provide both personal care and
AT A GLANCE:
Business: InHome Fitness
Solutions
Owner: Tyson Dukes
Phone: 712-330-2670
Online: inhomeseniors.com
fitness training to improve strength
and balance. He hopes to expand
outside of Osceola and Dickinson and
into counties like Sioux and O’Brien.
InHome Fitness Solutions has
helped people in more ways than one.
Dukes said his specialists see 30-40
clients for fitness training weekly. For
personal care, that number rises to
70-80 clients.
“I’m not so much of a numbers
person, but I hope that we can grow
in the number of people that we can
help. I think that’s maybe the biggest
goal that we have. And so now our
challenge to ourselves, ‘How can we let
communities know that we are here,
and we want to be able to help them
in some capacity?’” Dukes said. “Our
mission is growth, but it’s more growth
in, ‘Can we help more people?’”
At the basis of InHome Fitness Solutions
is relationality. At the end of the
day, Dukes said even when life does
not turn out the way he hopes, his
clients and their families have been
abundantly supportive.
“You always want to help as much
as you can. And our goal is to help
somebody stay in their home as long
as possible, as long as it’s safe to do
so,” he said. “There was a point in
time where I was seeing a lady and
this family; everybody was trying to do
whatever they could to help this lady
stay in her home. She was just a wonderful,
neat lady, just struggling with
medical complications, strength and
balance. We worked and worked, and
I worked with her for several months.
Ultimately, home was just not the safest
place for her.
“I kind of felt like I maybe had failed
her or failed the family. As I was voicing
that to the family, that family said,
‘No, no. We appreciated every last
day that she got to stay at home, she
made it several more months than we
thought she could ever make it.’ So,
that has always really stuck with me
that I thought maybe I’d failed. But in
the family’s eyes, they were appreciative
of every last moment they got to
have their mom or grandma at home.”
InHome Fitness Solutions founder Tyson Dukes supports a client for a walk outside of her home. The goal of
Dukes’ business is to strengthen the mind and bodies of seniors to help them live in the home. Photo submitted

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E8
BUSINESS
Fritz and Buzzard keep
The Hideout alive and well
CHICKEN
Continued from page E1
Budweiser and Coors signs line the walls with
Christmas lights hanging above them. A rubber
chicken hangs over the bar next to a dozen
chicken-shaped ceramics, a parrot stuffy and a
gnome. Most of the decor Fritz said she inherited.
“They came with the place,” she said.
The restaurant profession was not on Fritz’s
mind until it had to be. She worked at the Beef
Specialists of Iowa processing plant in Hartley
for 15 years.
When it closed in 1997, Fritz woke up every
morning at 4 to catch a bus from Hartley to the
plant’s new location in Windom, MN.
She would finish her shift, get home around 9
p.m., and do the same thing the next day.
Fritz took that bus for four weeks before
Monte Puhrmann, The Hideout owner at the
time, reached out wanting to sell.
“Somebody offered me the job of running
this place, and I said, ‘Eight miles is better than
88 miles any day of the week,’” Fritz said.
She took over the restaurant with her “second
half,” Mike Rabe, in 2005. Restaurant-goers call
him “Buzzard.”
They have lived together for the last 34 years
south of Paullina.
The Hideout, however, is where Fritz and
Buzzard split ways. Fritz makes her home in the
kitchen, a small side room with enough space
for one cook.
Hamburgers, cheese balls, steak and shrimp
all come out of The Hideout kitchen. However,
Fritz’s renowned chicken is what gets people in
the door from around the world.
Fritz has served visitors from Canada, Mexico,
Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and China — to
name a few.
“I just bread it and drop it in my broaster,”
she said. “It’s got a timer that’s set, cooks for so
many minutes, and it’s cooked under pressure.”
Buzzard settles in front of the bar where he is
a creative partymaker; one look at the ceiling
proves it.
Dozens of crumpled dollar bills hang from
the ceiling that will never come down. Fritz said
she does not know for sure but assumes Buzzard
started it.
“It’s a dollar and you put a thumb tack
through it, put a quarter behind it, twist the
dollar around the quarter, see if you can get it to
stick on the first try,” Fritz said.
Weekends “can be pretty busy,” according to
Fritz.
She usually bumps her staff up to two bartenders
Friday and Saturday nights. While Fritz
has strict cooking hours, her bartenders have
more leeway.
“Somebody offered me the
job of running this place,
and I said, ‘Eight miles is
better than 88 miles any
day of the week.”
NADINE “FRITZ” STULL,
THE HIDEOUT OWNER
AT A GLANCE:
Business: The Hideout
Owners: Nadine “Fritz” Stull and Mike
“Buzzard” Rabe
Address: 4811 Oak Hill Ave.,
Germantown
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Phone: 712-448-2033
“The kitchen’s open from 5-9 p.m.,” she said.
“The bar can be open ’til 2 a.m. or whenever.”
The Hideout serves margaritas; however,
Fritz does not know how much they cost be -
cause she said she’s “never out here.” Beers
range from $3.50 to $4. Fritz’s famous broasted
chicken starts at $4.25.
New customers can recognize The Hideout
by the 5-foot-wide baseball cap hanging above
the entrance. Fritz to this day is unsure of the
meaning.
“I don’t know; it came with the place. It had
a duck on it when I first started. Somebody
took it down and borrowed it and put it back,
painted it, and I put a chicken on it rather than
a duck,” Fritz said.
There is a map of the United States nailed to
the north wall. The map is covered in pins with
green ribbons.
Every pin represents a customer. While the
Midwest has the most concentrated amount
of green, pins line both coasts and into Mexico.
Fritz said pins stuck off the map were hung by
people coming from outside of the country.
Germantown, an unincorporated community
settled in 1882, has no public infrastructure
beyond St. John’s Lutheran Church. Still, people
travel from around the world to visit Fritz and
Buzzard’s rural bar and grill.
When asked why the restaurant is named,
“The Hideout,” Fritz said she did not know — it
came with the place.
“Just a little hole-in-the-wall out in the middle
of nowhere,” she said.
The bar is in the center of The Hideout restaurant in Germantown. Equipped with hot and cold
cups, M&M’s and playing cards, customers are welcomed to get comfortable and enjoy a plate of
Fritz’s famous chicken. Many of the decorations are ones Fritz inherited from previous owners.
The Hideout is a small-town restaurant and bar located in Germantown southern O’Brien County.
People have visited the restaurant from all over the world, finding out about it primarily through
word-of-mouth. The eatery is most famous for its broasted chicken. Photos by Mikaela Mackey

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E9
HARTLEY
Contact the City for more information
E-mail: hartley@tcaexpress.net
712-928-2240 | www.hartleyiowa.com
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SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E10
Kweken Co. hopes
coworking space
builds community
BUSINESS
KWEKEN
Continued from page E1
for them, et cetera,” McKenzie said.
“The goal is that people who have
purchased a day pass or monthly
membership will use that space
however suits their needs for their
business or their job.”
The back portion of the coffee shop
has a kitchenette with a microwave,
fridge, sink and dishes, private conference
rooms and a variety of public
workspaces.
The community office also is
technology-equipped with Wi-Fi,
computers and a printer.
Coworking space memberships
vary from one month for $200 to an
annual membership for $2,000. Professionals
also may purchase a day
pass to the space for $12.
Amenities are designed for entrepreneurs,
remote workers, freelancers
and consultants, but McKenzie
said the space is designed for graphic
designers or local artists as well with
large tabletops to hold wide prints.
Michael is one of those thought-of
artists who will create a mural for one
of the Kweken Co. conference rooms.
“We’re trying to serve people who
both want to be a member of our
space — and then hopefully through
being a member are able to really
network with other professionals
and just to have a space that is
maybe away from their home, that
feels a little bit more dedicated to
their professional needs — but also
want to cater to those people who
maybe just need a professional space
once in a while,” McKenzie said. “So,
whether that’s either coming to work
in a different, you know, get a change
of atmosphere for the day, or if they
need that conference room amenity
or things like that, to kind of have
options there.”
Being equipped with the physical
appliances of a coworking space,
community manager Krista Gleason
will be in charge of maintaining a
professional atmosphere.
Krista met McKenzie right before
graduating from Northwestern College
in Orange City with a public relations
degree a year ago and marking
several months before Kweken Co.
opened. Krista asked if she could be a
The Kweken Co. coworking space is equipped with a kitchenette fridge,
microwave, sink and kitchenware for members to use. The professional location
is through a back door behind the Kweken Co. coffee shop in Orange City.
Grace Spencer-Klein and McKenzie Kuiken make customers’ drink orders at Kweken Co. in Orange City on Wednesday
morning, April 10. The shop offers a coworking space in the back of the building. Photos by Mikaela Mackey
part of the Kuikens’ vision.
“I was really excited to learn about
the business concept and the idea of
using it to cultivate community here
in Orange City. Over the summer I
met with McKenzie, once to learn
more about Kweken Co. and tour the
building while it was still being renovated,
and once for an official interview.
I got hired as the community
manager and started working with
McKenzie in August,” Krista said. “It
was an incredible experience for me
to be able to participate in the opening
of a business that, as I view it, has
already become an integral part of
Orange City.”
The coworking space has become
Krista’s new home base, oversee
social media content, event planning,
answering questions about the
space and developing relationships
with monthly members. Within
three days of opening the coworking
space, Krista already had a registered
monthly member.
“We also have had multiple bookings
for renting individual rooms,”
she said. “There has been quite a bit
of interest expressed about the space
AT A GLANCE:
Business: Kweken Co.
Owner: McKenzie Kuiken
Address: 113 Third St. NW, Orange City
Hours: Cafe open 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-8 p.m.
Sunday. Coworking space open 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
E-mail: hello@kwekenco.com
Online: www.kwekenco.com
in the past couple months, so I anticipate
the space will be utilized well.”
The final facet McKenzie most
looks forward to with the new
coworking space is a balance of work
and fun. Members will have access to
the coworking space 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday-Friday, as well as receive
a 10 percent discount on all menu
items. Outside those hours, McKenzie
plans to use that space for game
nights, baby showers, parties, live
music and “whatever else we come
up with.”
Percolating community inside the
office and outside of it, McKenzie
and Krista are eager to capitalize on
Kweken Co.’s early-found success.
“It’s been really good. I think, kind
of as expected, we definitely see a lot
of the college-kid crowd which has
been awesome and fun. We seem to
be a spot where people like to come
and study, which has been awesome.
I think something notable for me is
I’m also excited to see we’ve been
seeing lots of families,” McKenzie
said. “We’ve definitely been getting
good feedback about the coffee and
just the local and more thoughtful
ingredients that are going into
our coffee, which is really exciting,
because that was super important to
me as well.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E11
LAND TRANSACTIONS
LYON COUNTY
Bradley Kupferschmid: 808 S. Story St., Rock Rapids. Purchased
for $182,000.
Bonnie Venenga: 206 S. 15th Ave. Unit A, Rock Rapids. Purchased
$290,000.
Kara Moser: 535 Geiser St., Larchwood. Purchased for $130,000.
Ryan Rozeboom: 1011 Blaine St., Larchwood. Purchased for
$269,000.
Thomas Roberts: 400 E. Michigan Ave., George. Purchased for
$167,500.
Samuel Cummins: 302 N. Main St., Inwood. Purchased for
$229,000.
Carly Sayler: 205 Old Mill Lane, Rock Rapids. Purchased for
$348,000.
Benjamin Specht: 932 Edgerley St., Larchwood. Purchased for
$310,000.
Karleen Stoller: 503 Thomas St., Lester. Purchased for $245,000.
Jesse Koerselman: 109 Burr St., Little Rock. Purchased for
$203,000.
Adam Mickelson: 217 Main St., Alvord. Purchased for $31,875
(commercial).
Thomas Ver Steeg: 415 First Ave., Little Rock. Purchased for
$6,000.
ERD Holdings LLC: Northern Acres First Addition, Larchwood.
Purchased for $52,000.
ERD Holdings LLC: Northern Acres First Addition, Larchwood.
Purchased for $41,000.
ERD Holdings LLC: Northern Acres First Addition, Larchwood.
Purchased for $56,000.
William Viereck: 1039 Broadway St., Larchwood. Purchased for
$228,464 (commercial).
Paul Davis: Mill Pond Road, Rock Rapids. Purchased for $100,000.
Janelle Beukes: 410 S. Main St., Inwood. Purchased for $90,000
(commercial).
Nicholas Weber: 908 N. Boone St., Rock Rapids. Purchased for
$60,000.
Gaje Sammons: 1004 N. Boone St., Rock Rapids. Purchased for
$60,000.
O’BRIEN COUNTY
Swanson Family Living Trust: Pine Grove First Addition,
Hartley. Purchased for $15,000.
Mark Thompson: 6833 460th St., Sutherland. Purchased for
$500,000.
Golden Property LLC: 414 Seventh Ave., Sheldon. Purchased
for $135,000.
Brent Merley: 1226 S. Third Ave., Sheldon. Purchased for $25,000.
Brock Riedemann: 206 E. Third St., Sutherland. Purchased for
$63,900.
Nicholas and Kaylie Keen: 1530 S. 10th Ave., Sheldon. Purchased
for $210,000.
Gustavo and Maria Salazar: 110 Main St., Sanborn. Purchased
for $60,000 (commercial).
David Hofman: 204 W. Fifth St., Sanborn. Purchased for $116,000.
Clarence Wolthuizen Revocable Trust: 1017 Fifth Ave.,
Sheldon. Purchased for $128,000.
Troy and Paula and Oberle Winkel, Michael and
April Winkel: 203 Ninth St., Sheldon. Purchased for $45,000
(commercial).
Cameron and Danelle Crist: 305 E. Southern St., Sutherland.
Purchased for $32,000.
Jesus and Bautista Constantino, Abi Constantino:
404 Seventh Ave., Sheldon. Purchased for $158,000.
Brittni Mensing: 230 N. Sixth Ave. E., Hartley. Purchased for
$77,900.
Stephen and Kelly Embrey: 131 Third St. NE, Hartley. Purchased
for $127,500.
MBW LTD: 4961 320th St., Sheldon. Purchased for $179,000 (commercial).
Kaylena Engel: 106 Main St., Archer. Purchased for $32,000.
SAAASA LLC: 215 Third St. SW, Primghar. Purchased for
$105,000.
Chase and Karina Morgan: 810 Seventh St., Sheldon. Purchased
for $320,000.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
Portales LLC: 302 Ninth St., Sibley. Purchased for $13,000 (commercial).
Shelby and Marshall Eddy: 853 First Ave., Sibley. Purchased
for $135,000 (commercial).
Dasiel Gonzalez Carpio: 338 Third St., Ashton. Purchased for
$79,000.
Steve Soldwisch: 832 Main St., Ocheyedan. Purchased for
$3,000 (commercial).
Adrian Goytia: 929 Main St., Ocheyedan. Purchased for $150,000.
Antonio Romera: 823 Eighth St., Sibley. Purchased for $65,000.
Nicole Elsing: 1016 Second Ave. W., Sibley. Purchased for
$93,000.
Alan Julius: 433 Tenth St. W., Sibley. Purchased for $122,000.
SIOUX COUNTY
Mitchell Sinclair: 1246 Eighth Ave. NE, Sioux Center. Purchased
for $299,000.
Jorge Topete, Adrian Topete, Camacho Topete,
Melissa and Alvarez Topete: 1317 14th St., Hawarden.
Purchased for $145,000.
Jared Solsma: 708 Fairway Court, Alton. Purchased for $411,000.
Jeremy and Jenny Vermeer: 522 Arizona Ave. NW, Orange
City. Purchased for $131,000.
Embark Properties LLC: 1518 14th St., Rock Valley. Purchased
for $140,000 (commercial).
Jimmy Vasquez-Escobeda and Allison Vasquez:
823 Fifth St., Hull. Purchased for $225,000.
Harlan and Diane Kleinhesselink: 708 Second St. SE No.
116, Orange City. Purchased for $225,000.
Aaron and Kimberly Huizinga: 909 Eighth St. SE, Orange
City. Purchased for $85,500 (commercial).
Gregory and Jasmine Boer: 1810 Fifth St. SE, Rock Valley.
Purchased for $49,500.
K&K Court LLC: Rock Mills Addition, Rock Valley. Purchased for
$21,000.
Graham and Mariah Zomermaand: 1224 Ninth Ave. NE,
Sioux Center. Purchased for $335,000.
Hugo Morales Martin and Rosario Morales Martin:
518 Second Ave. SW, Sioux Center. Purchased for $168,000.
Two Sisters Investments LLC: 1705 Albany Place SE
Orange City. Purchased for $600,000 (commercial).
Amanda Baker-Vande Brake and Jason Vande
Brake: 45 Fifth St. SE, Sioux Center. Purchased for $250,000.
Kent and Deanna McDaniel: 121 Seventh St. SW, Sioux
Center. Purchased for $235,550.
KMAN Rental LLC: 113 Third St. NE, Orange City. Purchased for
$240,000 (commercial).
SYG Investments LLC: 1514 Ave. F, Hawarden. Purchased for
$72,000.
Mark and Miriam Vellinga: 404 Zuider Zee Court SE, Orange
City. Purchased for $289,500.
Mason and Josie Goebel: 605 Sixth St., Ireton. Purchased for
$190,000.
Tate and Kyra Rauscher: 2612 Warren Circle, Rock Valley.
Purchased for $269,500.
Ricardo Campos and Alexis Montelongo-Topete:
2608 Warren Circle, Rock Valley. Purchased for $269,500.
Justin and Melissa Bailey: 1641 Highland Hills, Sioux Center.
Purchased for $85,000.
Glennis and Judy Breuer: 628 18th St. SE, Sioux Center.
Purchased for $50,000.
Brian and Sheri Konz: 304 Eighth St., Alton. Purchased for
$280,000.
Cheryl Madsen: 631 Fifth St., Hull. Purchased for $200,000.
Alberto Flores Topete and Curiel Topete, Blanca
Flores: 1412 Ave. H, Hawarden. Purchased for $110,000.
Hayden and Alyssa Lee: 303 Third St. NW, Orange City. Purchased
for $310,000.
Emigdio and Josefina Marquez: 725 S. Main Ave., Sioux
Center. Purchased for $180,000.
Clarity Holdings LLC: 725 N. Main Ave., Sioux Center. Purchased
for $150,000 (commercial).
Caleb Meyer: 1114 Fourth St., Hull. Purchased for $161,000.
Carter Sandbulte: 317 Fourth St. SW, Orange City. Purchased for
$176,000.
Tyler and Crystal De Jong: 211 Florida Ave. SW., Orange City.
Purchased for $255,000.
Cody and Rochelle Statema: 425 Frankfort Ave. NE, Orange
City. Purchased for $419,000.
Michael and Cassandra Veltkamp: 1766 Seventh St.,
Sioux Center. Purchased for $49,000.
Houston and Savanna Hartwig: 987 Ridge Road, Sioux
Center. Purchased for $80,000.
Eric Koehlmoos: 416 Fifth St. NW, Orange City. Purchased for
$209,000.
Zachary Carter and Sheriden Eastman: 2540 510th
St., Le Mars. Purchased for $363,500.
Teygan and Makaya Hiemstra: 1103 Cedar Ave., Alton.
Purchased for $35,000.
Jack and Julia Vander Stelt: 122-124 Boston Ave. SE,
Orange City. Purchased for $260,000.
Austin and Dominique Blankespoor: 2012 17th St., Rock
Valley. Purchased for $344,000.
Keaton Van Roekel: 1111 Birch St., Hull. Purchased for
$230,000.
Randall Egenes: 1221 19th St., Hawarden. Purchased for
$160,000.
Tonya Koenen: 2112 400th St., Hawarden. Purchased for
$250,000.
Family Crisis Center: 1326 First Ave. SE, Sioux Center. Purchased
for $185,000.
Cornerstone Wash LLC: 601 Black Forest Road, Hull. Purchased
for $200,000 (commercial).
Kathleen Vande Hoef: 910 Greenway Drive No. 212, Rock Valley.
Purchased for $179,000.
Randall and Katelyn Kooiman: 803 Second St., Hull. Purchased
for $250,000.
Brian and Kristi Vande Hoef: 2005 N. Main St., Rock Valley.
Purchased for $180,000.
Dallas Rozeboom: 1310 Third St., Hull. Purchased for $170,000.
Brandon and Katlin Vander Stoep: 105 Michigan Ave. SW,
Orange City. Purchased for $430,000.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 THE N'WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA E12
Spring
into a NEW HOME with the HELP of our
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SHELDON, IA
712-324-2519
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MLO# 1253999
817 Main Street, Box 9
BOYDEN, IA
712-725-2321
www.csbboyden.com
LENDER
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