A crowd rolls in from farms and worksites in the Bricelyn area at about noon. Workers talk as they get ready to enjoy a hearty meal at Bud’s Cafe & Market.

Sharyl Johnson waits on tables at the cafe, runs the cash register and manages the market, a multitasking role the energetic Johnson seems to enjoy.

“We probably serve 40 people most weekdays, and there are a lot of takeout meals during harvest time,” Johnson said.

Tom Hughes is the owner and proprietor of Bud’s, a business that has been in his family since the late 1930s and was named for his father. After graduating from Bricelyn High School in 1978, Hughes went to Mankato State University and worked in Utah for several years.

In the meantime, his father had passed away and his mother was running the restaurant. When his mother died, Hughes returned to his hometown to continue the family business tradition. In 1999, the cafe moved from its original location to a former grocery store and Bud’s Cafe & Market was born. The market and cafe are mutually self-supporting enterprises.

“I don’t think either one could make it on their own,” Hughes said.

The market has a variety of food products and is the only grocery store in town.

Bud’s, like so many small-town businesses, is involved in many endeavors. In addition to the cafe and market, Bud’s has a small bakery, rents videos and sells lottery tickets and newspapers.

Bricelyn was founded in 1899 and currently has an estimated 338 residents. It is located in the southeast part of Faribault County, five miles south of Interstate 90.

The Rev. Edward Neiman and his wife, Gayle, were enjoying their noontime meal at Bud’s on Monday. Neiman is co-pastor of United in Faith Lutheran Parish, which comprises five churches in Faribault County. Gayle Neiman is the president of the Bricelyn Community Club. The Neimans come to Bud’s several times a week for meals, shopping and socializing.

“They are nice people who give good service. They fill the place up for those Sunday turkey dinners,” Ed Neiman said.

The Neimans say they enjoy living and working in a small town with a rural setting.

“Bricelyn is a nice town where people try to work together to keep things going,” Ed said.

The pastor said he has seen changes and challenges in his nine years as a Bricelyn area minister. Bricelyn is becoming more of a bedroom community for people working in larger area towns, such as Albert Lea, Forest City, Wells and Blue Earth.

Neiman’s Bricelyn Lutheran Church has 360 baptized members and an average of 60 congregants attending Sunday services at the church with a capacity of 300. Divorced couples with kids present a challenge for the Sunday school program at Neiman’s church.

“The kids spend alternating weekends with different parents. Some get the kids to church and some don’t. We might have 25 kids in Sunday school one week and only 15 the next,” he said.

After their meal, the Neimans walked back to their parsonage home, stopping to admire the new playground equipment at the city park in the center of town. The community club recently finished a three-year fundraising campaign that garnered $35,000 for new playground equipment. Another recent club project fixed up the swimming pool at the park.

“It is a great park and a lot of people come here quite often,” Gayle Neiman said.

The club also supports the annual Fourth of July festivities, which end with a huge fireworks display.

“It is the best in the area. People come from all over,” she said.

Brush Creek Floral & Gift does business at the Main Street location, which was home to the original Bud’s Cafe for 60 years. Glen and Linda Gullikson opened their shop five years ago, also keeping many business balls in the air. A nursery and garden did very good business throughout the spring and summer. Linda Gullikson is a trained massage therapist, and has a separate massage area in the building. The couple travel to many arts and crafts shows in a four-state area during the warm months. They look after some rental properties they own in Bricelyn.

Glen Gullikson has spent 45 years as a Main Street businessman in Bricelyn, the first 40 as a service station owner.

“This community has been very good to us. In Bricelyn, everybody knows everybody,” he said.

He frequents Bud’s Cafe & Market.

“The hours are tough, but Tom runs a good restaurant.”