Owners selling 2 popular stops on East Main Street

Some changes are in the works for two neighboring businesses on the east end of Albert Lea.

Though the transaction is still in the preliminary stages, Casey’s General Store has announced plans to purchase Ole’s Eastside Shell, 2222 E. Main St., said Brian Johnson, vice president of finance with the Ankeny, Iowa-based company.

Next door, father and son Alan and Tobin Korpi purchased the Green Mill Restaurant, 2218 E. Main St., on Sept. 26 and are planning a major interior renovation. Alan Korpi is from Minneapolis, and his son, Tobin, is from Bemidji.

Johnson did not have an estimated date for the convenience store purchase closing but noted Casey’s is looking forward to coming to the community.

“We’re very excited to be at that corner,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of stores in that southern Minnesota area.”

The gas station’s present owner is Ole’s Corner LLC.

Casey’s plans to bring its flagship pizza and doughnuts to the store, Johnson said, noting that the company is a top-10 retailer of pizza in the nation.

The remodel of the Green Mill is slated to begin Dec. 1 and to conclude after Christmas, said Tobin Korpi, who moved to Albert Lea in September with his wife, Hillary.

He said this is their first Green Mill venture, but they hope to expand in southern Minnesota.

The restaurant was previously owned by Shell Rock Food & Beverage.

Korpi said among the changes to take place in the restaurant, the canopy will be taken down in the bar and a new faux tin ceiling will be installed. The walls will be repainted, and new wood flooring will be put in.

He said there will be 14 televisions in the bar once completed — 10 65-inch and four 42-inch TVs — and they are looking into repurposing the tap line.

All of the chairs and tables will be replaced, and the booths will be refinished throughout the entire restaurant.

In the dining room, there will also be new paint and pendant lighting, along with new artwork throughout the entire building.

Korpi said the restaurant will stay open during construction, with much of the work being done overnight or early in the morning. They are also considering expanding delivery and catering options.

“We see a lot of potential here,” he said.