Breakfast, lunch now being served at Terry’s in Bunkies Grille & Lanes

“We came for food,” replied two young teenage customers when asked “What are you two trouble makers up to?”
Breakfast and lunch favorites are now being served at Bunkies Grille and Lanes in Blooming Prairie. Food has returned to Bunkies from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week and this brings a wide smile to Aaron Ressler, proprietor of the grille, bowling lanes and golf simulator on East Main Street.
It’s been one year since Aaron took the reins of Bunkies, named after his grandfather, George Ressler. “We only had frozen pizzas before,” Ressler said. 
“We are doing a soft opening now and will have a big grand opening after Main Street is finished,” Ressler said. The business was previously owned by Aaron’s brother, Mike. He came up with the name Bunkies and remodeled the business. Original restaurant owners were George (97) and Tillie (98), followed by their son David.
The grille is managed by Terry Pfister of Byron. She ran Terry’s Diner on the Tracks in Byron previous to coming to Blooming Prairie. On her first day open, she attracted over 30 customers. Seating capacity at Bunkies is at 80.
“People love our niche of home cooked meals and already, our homemade fries and burgers are going over well,” Ressler said. Meat loaf and goulash have been selling well, as have our homemade hash browns, pancakes and waffles,” said Pfister. “That little cafe feel and smell has come back,” he added. The cafe first opened in 1947.
Pfister said she will soon be offering her specialty of banana cream pie. She also will feature coconut cream pie.
Bunkies continues to be open for birthday parties, golf league and bowling nights. “I was searching for someone who could do the food for us,” Ressler said. Now, catering is an option “and a huge benefit for us,” he added.
Ressler laughs when he said he sometimes would scorch a pizza. “Even with frozen food, I couldn’t get it,” he joked. 
In the near future, Ressler hopes to have outside patio seating.
Owner Ressler said he has had “good local support from the friendly residents of Blooming Prairie.” He said the golf leagues have really taken off, and he hopes to get kids interested in bowling through the schools.
Aaron is a teaching pro at the Blooming Prairie Country Club and gets out to the course as often as time permits. He has run a couple of golf camps this summer. 
Running a small business is Ressler’s priority, however, and he said the reward is that the business is “your own” and the downside is that the business is “your own.”
Ressler is a Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce member.
Ressler said he always tries to look ahead, and his wish is to finish the old barn behind the restaurant, using it for weddings and band events. “That’s on my wish list; more small towns need dreamers,” he said. The building is listed on National Register of Historic Places.