After a complete renovation of their new building, the owners of A-Best Sew & Vac on Wednesday opened the doors of their store on East Main Street, at what was formerly known as Bunnell’s Donut Hut.

Owners Vern and Lisa Hanson, who purchased the building at 1201 E. Main St. last summer, had been at 911 S. Broadway Ave. for at least the decade prior.

Vern said with the help of Lembke Construction, their new building was completely gutted out to the rafters, new walls were installed, the ceiling was vaulted, and new paint and trim were applied. Albert Lea native Chandler Anderson painted a mural of the sky on the ceiling.

The construction on Main Street began right after Christmas — with the help of many local businesses — and there were a few last-minute touch-ups right up to a few days before the store opened, Vern said.

Walking into the building after it opened last week, it was hard to believe that the new vacuum and sewing machine center used to be a restaurant.

The business — which originally opened in Albert Lea in 1994 with the help of Vern’s parents — specializes in Janome sewing machines and several brands of vacuums, the couple explained.

In 1997, they purchased the business from Vern’s parents and have been heavily involved ever since.

People come to the business for specialized service on their vacuums and sewing machines, for demonstrations and even for sewing classes, Vern and Lisa said.

The couple said they try to focus on American-made products as much as possible and also try to focus heavily on good service to their customers.

A-Best serves a 100-mile radius.

“Our business has steadily grown over the years,” Vern said. “Albert Lea is a good place to be.”

He said when people from out of town come to their store for a class, they often end up making a day of their visit to Albert Lea by eating out at a restaurant and maybe even going to the mall.

Lisa said its been fun to see some of their long-term clients come in since the opening and remark about the new space.

“We are so blessed,” she said. “We have such wonderful, wonderful patrons. We’re very thankful.

Lisa and Vern said one of the major pluses of moving to the new building is the location and the access to parking. They were told by city staff that the intersection of East Main Street and Garfield Avenue is one of the busiest intersections in town, she said.

Where: 1201 E. Main St.

Hours: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Info.: 377-8244

“We feel very blessed and fortunate to be here,” Lisa said.

And this may not be the end of the renovations

The couple said they are contemplating a major remodel of the exterior and an addition to the building in the future.

They also hope to be expanding their line of green cleaning products, along with adding more cleaning products that will be better for people with allergies, Vern said.

“We have a lot of fresh and new ideas for the business,” he said.

The couple noted their hard-working staff in helping their success.

They are planning an official grand opening in April.