<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ruwhR_17DpJnK000" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ruwhR_17DpJnK000" width="1200" height="630" >The Bar in Goodview celebrated its final day last weekend. Over the years, it has been a hub for the community to gather and socialize and host events as diverse as birthday parties and wakes. On Saturday, generations of regulars crowded along the bar, reminisced around tables, hugged like family, and said goodbye to a place where they shared so many memories. The Bar’s last day was December 6. This fall, the Goodview City Council decided to sell the property, citing maintenance costs and a belief that the city shouldn’t be a commercial landlord. Despite a community outpouring of support for the business, the city moved forward and The Bar owner Jenn Laturno confirmed she was closing the bar. City leaders said they want the new property owner to keep a bar and/or restaurant there for the community.Longtime bartender Amy Guenther was misty-eyed about tending the bar one last time after 27 years. While she saw many of her regulars, several people who hadn’t been in for a long time stopped by. “Do I get a hug?” she asked one old regular who came by with his family. “All the people that I met here are like family, extended family, in a way,” Guenther said. “And that's going to hit me after today. Where am I going to see these people anymore? I mean, it won't ever be the same because it won't be here.” She added, “When they come in, I know what they drink … so usually I have it in front of them when they get in, ready to go … like ‘Cheers.’” Guenther said her favorite part about working at The Bar was the people, and now she isn’t sure what she will do next. The community at The Bar is what drew Angela Kronberger to Goodview. Kronberger recalled that she used to live in the Wabasha area and drive to work at Benchmark, and sometimes she would go to The Bar with coworkers. Eventually, Kronberger said she moved to Goodview during the pandemic and started bartending at The Bar in 2023. “I’ve met fantastic people at this bar,” Kronberger said, adding that was a factor in her decision to move. She added, “But it was watching [Jenn Laturno] with the community, with the people, all the things she does, how she helps everyone. That made it even more encouraging to be here.” Kronberger said Laturno really cares about the customers and said if a regular wasn’t there like normal, Laturno would call them, deliver them food, and make sure they were OK. “Her whole heart and soul was in this place. It’s still going to be with the community though,” Kronberger said.Don Burt’s father was a longtime regular at The Bar. Knowing that The Bar staff cared for the community and its regulars made Burt feel comfortable living far away from his father. “You knew that he was going to be alright because they were all watching out,” Burt said. “It’s kind of like a funeral for us,” Don’s wife, Melissa Burt said about The Bar closing. Don Burt noted that they have had celebrations of life and family reunions at The Bar.Over the years, the space has hosted everything from surprise birthday parties to union votes, funerals, weddings, baby showers, and more. Laturno said her focus on serving the community came from her upbringing and church. She noted that growing up, her mom always encouraged her to work Christmas Day so that an out-of-towner who’s working and couldn’t make it home could have a place to go to. “I was encouraged to just be a member of a community and take care of a community.” Laturno said. She added, “It was never a question, you just are inclusive.” She recalled that in her first year of running The Bar, there was a huge snow storm on Christmas Eve, and she had forgotten to make arrangements with the snow plow company to clear. But, she said, the community stepped in and a bar regular cleared the snow with his truck. “And all of the sudden, all of these people started walking into the door with crockpots because we were going to have our Christmas Day potluck,” Laturno said. The thing that she will miss most about The Bar, Laturno said, is the community and fellowship. But, she added, she is excited for the future, her new job, and health insurance. “I just have so much appreciation because one person doesn't build a community. Every corner that I've turned in my life, I've realized how it just really takes a village to do things. And I've got to be a part of this really amazing village,” Laturno said. “And everybody is so wonderfully heartbroken and caring. But it's also a reminder that a building doesn't make a community, and that we can be a community wherever we go.”</div></body>

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The Bar in Goodview celebrated its final day last weekend. Over the years, it has been a hub for the community to gather and socialize and host events as diverse as birthday parties and wakes. On Saturday, generations of regulars crowded along the bar, reminisced around tables, hugged like family, and said goodbye to a place where they shared so many memories.

Last call at The Bar in Goodview

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The Bar in Goodview celebrated its final day last weekend. Over the years, it has been a hub for the community to gather and socialize and host events as d

Last call at The Bar in Goodview

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