Businesses offer one-stop shopping experience in little ol’ Racine

Businesses offer one-stop shoppingexperience in little ol’ RacineIn the tiny town of Racine, Minn., there’s three businesses that are more than just separate stores, they are one destination.

“We truly are a destination,” said Harla Nelson, owner of Harla’s Deli & Desserts. By “we,” Nelson refers to Pine Needles Quilt Shop and Antique Manor, which lie adjacent on each side of Nelson’s store. The layout creates a completely open experience, as the stores are all interconnected with no doors or obstructions in between.

“It’s just open,” Nelson said. “It has that flow to it.”

Marsha Nagel, owner of Pine Needles; Linda Bucknell, owner of Antique Manor, and Nelson all joined forces in 2007 to create an experience that few other entities offer. Though the women didn’t have pre-made, formal plans to all end up together, the chips fell in the right place.

“I felt strong it would work if we have the right people in here, and it has proven to work,” Bucknell said.

As a whole, they call the building Horse Feathers, just for something catchy, which works for all of them. They are all equally in it together.

According to Cindy Horan, assistant manager of Pine Needles, the business structure gives all three businesses an advantage. Customers won’t come for a brief visit; in fact, they rarely spend fewer than 45 minutes. And according to Nelson, the average customer spends 2.5 hours inside Horse Feathers.

“Our market is completely like all three of us compliment each other,” Nelson said.

One of the destination’s big draws is for groups of quilters, who often take tours from quilt shop to quilt shop. That’s why Racine’s trio has an upper hand, as customers know they can get lunch, dessert and gifts without breaking stride on their quilting journeys.

Pine Needles attempts to offer the full quilting experience. Horan said it offers a large selection of patterns, threads, wool, minke and more.

She said Pine Needles offers “anything that has to do with quilting.”

Among supplies, Pine Needles is a Bernina sewing machine dealer, with an authorized Bernina technician.

“We have machines that people can come in and do test drives on anytime,” Horan said.

That facet may draw many visitors to Racine from July 29 to Aug. 14, as this year’s Minnesota Shop Hop of 80 quilt stores will stop at Horse Feathers.

Yet Nelson and Horan both said their businesses cater to more than quilters. Nelson said the food selection with the antique store allows anyone to relax, eat and search for some gifts.

“We all help each other,” Bucknell added. “We’re all a draw for each business.”

Horse Feathers is a good place for family reunions or red hat ladies, as well. Women can spend hours in the quilt shop, buy a several-thousand dollar sewing machine, and break the news to their husbands with a peace offering of one of the pies, Nelson joked.

Nelson’s specialties feature homemade pies and bread. Though she’s a pie professional, she brags about the burgers more than anything.

Nelson’s restaurant adds to the experience, as its decades-old features surround the room.

“Just kind of back to the old-school mentality,” Nelson said about the business structure, meals and decor.

Perhaps the women’s favorite part of their business structure is the degree to which each owner is professional. Bucknell said she felt lucky that Horse Feathers has good tenants.

“To me it speaks well of the businesses, of what they offer, and how they offer it,” she said. “Everybody here works very very hard at what they do, and it shows.”