History
1871
217 and 221 North Minnesota
217 North Minnesota is built by Meinrad Epple and 221 North Minnesota is built by George Jacobs using American Artstone and brick from New Ulm Brick & Tile Company
1872
217 North Minnesota
Meinrad Epple opened a meat market at this location.
1881
217 and 221 North Minnesota
The buildings are damaged by the 1881 cyclone. They were soon rebuilt.
1902
217 North Minnesota
Mrs. Epple sold the meat market business to an employee, Andrew Saffert, who changed the name to Saffert’s Meat Market.
1909
217 North Minnesota
Andrew Saffert purchased the building.
1914
217 North Minnesota
Saffert’s Meat Market added a slaughterhouse and cooking rooms.
1918
217 North Minnesota
Saffert’s Meat Market remodeled the facade and expanded to the back alley.
1924
221 North Minnesota
W.S. Vercoe moved his plumbing shop to this address.
1924
11 South Minnesota
Albert Veigel opened the Lyric Cafe at this location next to the Lyric Theatre.
1928
11 South Minnesota
Albert Veigel sold the Lyric Cafe to Paul Yanda and Erwin Backer and they renamed it Dutch Oven.
1929
101 South Minnesota
Albert Veigel briefly operated a pool hall and lunchroom at this location before moving to 20 South Minnesota.
1930
20 South Minnesota
1937
523 1st North/26 N Broadway
Albert Veigel purchased the Kaiserhof Restaurant next to the New Ulm Theatre. Frank Kretsch had originally opened the Kaiserhof in 1933 in the office of his service station garage. The building was originally built in 1837 as Arbeiter Hall, later named Union Hall, and was used for events. After WWI it was used as a service station and it now houses businesses.
1946
221 North Minnesota
Albert & Minnie [Helget] Veigel and their son Don purchased the building with William Moll. They quickly remodeled the facade and moved their Kaiserhoff Restaurant from First North to the south side of the Minnesota Street building.
1947
221 North Minnesota
A fire gutted the interior and the building was renovated.
1963
221 North Minnesota
Veigel’s Kaiserhoff expanded to the north side of the building.
1976
217 North Minnesota
Andrew Saffert’s son, Elmer, sold the property to Don Veigel for the expansion of the Kaiserhoff Restaurant. Don Veigel remodeled the facade and razed a building to the south he had also purchased (Nick’s Tailor Shop) to add parking.
1977
217 and 221 North Minnesota
Veigel’s Kaiserhoff Restaurant operated out of the two buildings. The 217 Minnesota building was used as an event space. The original curved stairs and brass rail from Saffert’s Meat Market are still in place.
2022
217 and 221 North Minnesota
Herb Knutson purchased the buildings and the Kaiserhoff Restaurant.