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The Thirsty Fox owner Karl Milliron proudly stands in the bar and grill's new enclosed outdoor eating space. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Even in rainy weather, guests at The Thirsty Fox can eat outside with the bar and restaurant's new enclosed outdoor seating area. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

The Thristy Fox provides a fun and comforting atmosphere for guests to relax and enjoy food and drinks. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Server Miranda Roonui prepares an espresso martini for a customer at The Thirsty Fox. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

A cosmopolitan ready to go out to a customer at The Thristy Fox. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

The Thirsty Fox serves a variety of cocktails including this vanilla raspberry mule. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

A double smashed cheeseburger available at The Thirsty Fox Pub and Grill in Albert Lea. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

By Ayanna Eckblad

Driving in on U.S. Highway 65, visitors and locals are greeted by a variety of businesses as they enter Albert Lea. One restaurant tucked in among other businesses on Broadway has become a staple in the community for those looking for specialty beverages and good food.

The Thirsty Fox Pub and Grill opened in August 2019 and has served craft beer, cocktails and pub-style food ever since.

After five years of being open for business, the Thirsty Fox has grown both as a staff and as a physical building. It now employs about 25 people, which is double the staff they began with. They also just added two new elements to their property.

“We’ve been growing steadily ever since the day we opened,” said Karl Milliron, The Thirsty Fox owner. He credits a large part of the business’ success to the ownership and pride the staff take in the pub.

“We’ve grown a very, very good staff that’s very loyal,” he said.

The Thirsty Fox recently completed the construction and opening of a large outdoor seating area where customers can enjoy their food and drinks in the fresh air. The expansion took about three years, and Milliron plans to make further improvements.

One such improvement is a fireplace to provide heat and a comforting atmosphere in the cooler months. As of now, he plans to keep the outdoor seating area open through November.

In addition to the new outdoor space, The Thirsty Fox also bought a building next door where they plan to create a brewery. It will provide additional types of beer and possibly craft ale exclusively for The Thirsty Fox. The brewery building is currently undergoing various renovations to the exterior as well as mechanics.

Milliron said he plans to do some indoor work on the site over the winter. It is unknown when the brewery will officially open.

Opening the brewery is a huge step for Milliron. It has always been a bucket item for him, and he is excited it will be the first of its kind in Albert Lea.

Milliron considers himself “an unrepentant, unapologetic beer nerd.” He has been a home brewer for a long time and enjoys every aspect of beer creation from researching different flavors and techniques to speaking with other beer enthusiasts. He was thrilled when he opened The Thirsty Fox to meet people as passionate about the craft as he is.

This shows in his work at the restaurant, where he carries many different types of beer on tap and rotates them regularly.

A recent trip he took to England revolved around soaking up all the information he could to take back to his Minnesota pub. While there, Milliron visited six different breweries. It was there he learned about the creation of craft ale and decided to do it himself, but with his own American twist.

“I came back with just a real passion to do some similar things, but differently,” he said.

The increased popularity and subsequent expansions of The Thirsty Fox have been a challenge, but one the team is willing to rise to. Having a small business in Albert Lea is important for Milliron.

He considers small, local businesses to be the driving force of a well run economy and appreciates those willing to be relentlessly persistent to achieve success.

“I’m really grateful to the people of Albert Lea for liking what we’re doing, and rewarding us by allowing us to grow like this,” Milliron said. “It really has been a pleasure.”

He encourages people to speak up about changes they would like to see at The Thirsty Fox, saying the customer base has become a fountain of information in learning what additions and improvements to make.

“I cannot encourage people enough, if they have ideas, things that they would like to see, please speak up,” Milliron said. “The more engagement we get with our customers, the better.”

One of his favorite things about owning The Thirsty Fox is seeing different generations of people and their families enjoying what he and his staff have created.

“I find that very gratifying, that other people are enjoying themselves, and so for me that’s a big win,” he said. “Hopefully the future will reward us, and we’ll keep on building and growing.”

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