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The Elko New Market City Council on Thursday agreed to give permits and more than $3 million in subsidies to a California bottled water company for a major plant in the small south metro city, despite concerns by some residents that it would drain the aquifer and create more plastic pollution.

The project, which would hook up to the city's public water line and eventually draw 310 million gallons per year from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, still needs a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). That process will likely take until the fall, city officials said.

A group of residents have spoken out against the plant, which would be owned and operated by Niagara Bottling, because of the potential to deplete the aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern Minnesota.

"This doesn't seem like a good idea," said Laura Osman. "I'm not really sure that Niagara Bottling is a company that's trustworthy."

Carolyn Miller said residents are asked to water their lawn every other day to conserve water while Niagara will eventually be pumping 400 to 500 gallons per minute.

"Water is the new gold," she said in an email. "Why would the city [or] county suddenly decide it's a good idea to sell our water to an out-of-state, for-profit company, for pennies on the dollar, with forever rights?"

Others objected to the plastic bottles the plant would create. The company sells bottled water to retailers like Walmart and Costco.

Mayor Joe Julius said that "this amount of public discord" was new to the City Council.

"People are upset because they love their community," he said. "It's a huge change to them."

But he said the amount of water being drawn from the aquifer is a fraction of what's used in Lakeville and Faribault, cities that use the same aquifer.

"I think the onus is mostly on [the DNR] to make sure what we're asking for is reasonable," he said.

The project cleared a hurdle in February when the DNR deemed an environmental review unnecessary for the project and determined it would not harm the environment or local water supply.

The company has opened similar facilities in New Mexico, Texas, Michigan and Wisconsin in recent years.

Niagara Bottling representatives, who attended the council meeting, said they had no comment on the project.

Subsidies provided by city

The council approved several items Thursday night, including a plan to replace affected wetlands, permits for six silos that are taller than what's typically allowed, and a "significant user agreement" between the city and Niagara for the water usage.

The council also approved a resolution supporting Niagara's application for a Department of Employment and Economic Development subsidy of $405,000.

The city is "not too involved" in that subsidy, which is essentially a grant, Julius said.

Officials also approved a second subsidy — a reduction in water and sewer connection fees, which are paid to the city. Niagara will get a $3.1 million discount on those fees.

"Subsidies like this ... are given out all the time, regardless of whether [the company] has the economic means to make it work," he said. "This level of subsidy is less than what other users would have demanded."

City officials have long been trying to spur development in Elko New Market and have said the new plant would help defray the high cost of water there by adding to the tax base. The city opened a big water treatment plant in 2016, but the cost is only spread out over 1,400 households.

Julius said it was a big day for Elko New Market, now that they've approved the city-level items that will allow for the first user to move into their industrial park.

About 20 people showed up to voice their opposition to the Niagara plant. Several said they didn't like the city providing subsidies to the large company.

"I think that all of us that live close by knew development was coming," said Jonathan Carlson. "It just feels wrong that they rolled out the red carpet for an industrial client like this."

Erin Adler is a suburban reporter covering Dakota and Scott counties for the Star Tribune, working breaking news shifts on Sundays. She previously spent three years covering K-12 education in the south metro and five months covering Carver County.

[email protected] 612-673-1781 erinStrib

Elko New Market City Council gives water bottling plant the green light, pending state permit.

ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn. — The fate of a new water bottling plant now rests with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which will review the city's plan for its impact on the aquifer beneath the surface.

California-based Niagara Bottling proposes to set up operations in the city's industrial park, being developed by Ryan Companies, and purchase up to 310 million gallons of water per year from the city of Elko New Market.

Mayor Joe Julius sees development of the industrial park as the key to growth in the city, and an opportunity to lower water costs for current residents.

"Once that park fills up, not only are we going to have a nice boost to our tax base, we are going to start having some daytime workforce to our town, which has been a big inhibitor for us getting things like a grocery store, getting more restaurants to come to town," Mayor Julius told KARE.

The city had to issue bonds in the past ten years to build a new water treatment plant that would meet the new standards for radium. The cost of that new plant has been passed along to the city's water customers.

"We have the highest water rates in the state, and this is going to allow us to start making a meaningful dent in those water rates as Niagara comes on and starts using water from us," Julius said. "They’re going to pay the equivalent of 1,500 households, which is basically how many households we have. Once that happens, we’ll have more users on the system, taking out a big chunk of the debt that’s owed on it."

The plan has sparked controversy and led to packed and contentious city council meetings. One can still find "No Niagara" signs at various spots around the city of 5,000.

Some of the resistance is based on environmental concerns, while others resent the idea of Minnesota's water being extracted for sale in drier parts of the nation.

"Pulling this much water out could very well create a cone of depression that changes the way the groundwater flows to the river, to the calcareous fens and to local wells," Janelle Kuznia, who lives within a half mile of the proposed plant, told KARE.

"These natural resources belong to every person in this state, and I don’t think a for-profit company should be able to tap our aquifers and sell it for profit," Kuznia said.

The mayor said the city's hydrology consultant is confident there's enough water in the aquifers to handle the Niagara project, considering the city's population is expected to grow to 70,000 eventually.

"I appreciate those concerns. I really do because they come from passion and they come from a good place," Julius remarked. "In my opinion, that’s not up to us. We’re not experts on hydrology. We’re not experts on the aquifers. We rely on our experts."

Opponents have also raised issues with the sheer volume of plastic bottles that will be produced to be filled at the plant, considering how much plastic doesn't end up being recycled.

"Manufacturing plastic bottles is a legal business, and we don’t have the right as a city to discriminate against a business for what they do," Julius said. "We have to in the state of Minnesota allow them."

Kuznia said local governments should not feel powerless when it comes to protecting the environment and preserving natural resources.

"Where do we start? If we don’t start in the city, in our local communities, in each citizen taking responsibility for the environment, where do we start?" Kuznia asked. "I feel that the city council is not listening to the majority of the population."

If you love filling your life with vintage and antique treasures, take note. There’s a huge flea market on the horizon in Minnesota, and it only happens three times a year. This Memorial Day, one weekend in July, and Labor Day, hundreds of bargain hunters will gather to browse the more than 300 booths that make up this huge flea market. It’s a three-day event that cannot be missed if you have a special place in your heart for old stuff. Take a look at one of the best flea markets in Minnesota.

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Have you ever been to the Traders Market in Elko? Will you be going this year? Tell us about your finds in the comments below!

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William Suphan | February 23, 2023

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A company's plans to open a bottled water plant in the south Twin Cities metro cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when the state determined it would not harm the environment or local water supply.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said an environmental review is not needed for the proposed project by Niagara Bottling, a California-based company that sells bottled water to Walmart and Costco. The company plans to bottle, ship and sell up to 310 million gallons of water a year drawn in Elko New Market.

In doing so, the DNR dismissed a request for a more thorough review brought by neighbors and water quality advocates worried about what the pumping will do to rivers, wetlands and the water supply.

"I sure hope they're right," said Tim Zweber, a nearby farmer who helped organize opposition to the plant. "They don't seem very concerned at all and I hope we can trust them."

Before the project can move forward, Elko New Market still needs DNR permission to increase the amount of water it is allowed to pump. The city, which has a population under 5,000, is allowed to pump 135 million gallons a year.

The agency has not made a decision yet on whether to allow the increase.

But in its ruling Tuesday, the DNR dismissed concerns that the additional water use would harm the aquifer that serves much of southern Minnesota, or draw down the Vermillion River or nearby protected wetlands. The agency pointed out that most other cities and towns in Scott County already pump more water than Elko New Market. The city of Shakopee is permitted to pump up to 2.3 billion gallons a year, it said, while the average municipality in the county is allowed to pump up to 778 million a year.

The project "does not have the potential for significant environmental effects," the agency wrote in its decision. It added, however, that "additional analysis" will be conducted as the DNR review's the city's request to increase its water permit.

Residents like Zweber, who rely on their own private wells, are concerned what will happen when the city starts pumping so much more than it ever has. Elko New Market is in one of the metro's fastest-growing areas. Officials expect its population to double by 2040 and to someday reach as high as 80,000.

"Now you've decided to triple the amount of water drawn before the city is even built out," Zweber said. "I'm not concerned so much about today, but what is this area going to look like 15 years from now?"

Niagara Bottling has opened similar plants in New Mexico, Texas, Michigan and Wisconsin in recent years. Company representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. The company has said the new Elko New Market plant would create 59 full-time jobs, with pay averaging between $50,000 to $60,000. The 425,000-square-foot facility would cost $125 million to build and construction could start as soon as April, according to the city.

Residents of the small town of Elko New Market are pushing back against a California company’s plan to build a bottled water plant in their community south of the Twin Cities in Scott County.

Niagara Bottling is proposing to invest $125 million to build a 425,000-square-foot facility in the city’s industrial park, just off Interstate 35. It would draw from the city's water supply — which comes from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer — for production of its bottled beverages.

City officials say the project would bring jobs and economic growth to Elko New Market, which has about 5,000 residents, and would be a catalyst for development in the city’s fledgling industrial park.

The plant would be “the single largest by far commercial or industrial project that we've seen in our community,” said Tom Terry, city administrator. It’s expected to create nearly 60 jobs and generate at least $170,000 a year in city property taxes, he added.

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But Niagara’s plan has generated strong opposition from some residents who think it’s a bad idea for environmental and ethical reasons.

“We're setting precedent that the state of Minnesota is going to allow an out-of-state company to come into our aquifers and pump water in perpetuality, and turn around and sell it back to us,” said Janelle Kuznia, who lives near the proposed plant. “We should all be concerned about our water resources.”

‘Why is this the best option?’

The Elko New Market City Council is expected to decide Thursday night whether to approve a preliminary plat, change of zoning and applications for state loans to subsidize the project.

Even if those pass, the city also needs approval from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to pump more groundwater before the project can move forward.

In its initial phase, the facility is expected to use about 155 million gallons a year — more than what the entire city currently uses. Eventually, that amount would increase to an estimated 310 million gallons a year, Terry said.

The city’s current permit allows it to withdraw up to 135 million gallons of groundwater annually. It’s asking the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to amend that permit to allow up to 365 million gallons a year.

That would accommodate the initial phase of production at the Niagara facility plus other growth in the community for the next several years, Terry said.

But some residents are questioning the wisdom of allowing a company to bottle and sell its water to customers who don’t live in the city and maybe not in Minnesota, especially while much of the region is in the midst of a severe drought.

Elko New Market draws its water from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, the source of drinking water for many in the Twin Cities metro area.

Tim Zweber is an organic farmer who operates a direct-to-consumer meat business in Elko New Market. He’s concerned about the bottling plant’s water use affecting his private well.

An even bigger worry is the long-term sustainability of the region’s groundwater supply as the area continues to grow, Zweber said.

“The assumption is that this area will have tens of thousands of people living here eventually, and lots of light and heavy industry as well,” he said. “This isn't the end of the demand for water. This is just the beginning, and it's a big beginning.”

Residents of Elko New Market have been required to limit their use of city water for watering their lawns, said Sandy McMillan, who lives about a mile and a half outside the city.

“Now we have a bottling company coming in, using millions of gallons of that water,” she said. “So if we're in a drought, if we were told to limit our water supply, why is this the best option?”

City officials say Elko New Market’s existing wells have sufficient capacity to provide water to the new plant. And they say the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer’s levels have remained steady over the past few decades, even amid rapid population growth.

But Carrie Jennings, research and policy director at the nonprofit advocacy group Freshwater, thinks there should be a regional conversation about whether a bottling plant is the best use of the water supply in the long term.

“It seems like the most sensible thing for me is to get the DNR and the (Metropolitan) Council involved and have a holistic discussion, before somebody plops down a high-pumping anything,” Jennings said.

Earlier this year, Niagara withdrew a similar plan to build a bottling plant in Eau Claire, Wis., prior to a city council vote. The proposal faced strong opposition by some community members over the amount of water it would use and the plastic waste created by bottled water.

Niagara Bottling did not respond to emails requesting comment on the Elko New Market project.

At a planning commission meeting in November, Patrick Drinan, the company’s senior economic development manager, said the plant would produce half-liter bottles of purified water, mostly for customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. About 15 percent would be delivered to markets in North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa, he said.

Minnesota bulk water restrictions don’t apply

Before the DNR can decide whether to approve the amended water permit, it will require the city of Elko New Market to update its 10-year water supply plan, said Randall Doneen, section manager in the DNR’s ecological and water resources division. The city’s current plan “doesn’t envision this high of water use,” Doneen said.

He said the DNR will need to know where the city plans to draw the additional water from so it can understand whether there could be potential effects on lakes, rivers, streams or other wells in the area.

“The sustainability standard is a very important tool and bar you have to get over,” Doneen said. “It provides a good level of protection for any aquifer in the state.”

It’s important to make sure that there’s an adequate supply of water for drinking and household use, which is the highest priority, Doneen said. Bottling and selling the water for drinking — a commercial use — is a lower priority, he said.

In 2019, a Lakeville-based company sparked outrage when it proposed shipping groundwater from Dakota County by rail to western U.S. states, where water is scarce.

State officials quickly quashed the proposal, noting that 30-year-old restrictions limit pumping from the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer for industrial use.

Wary that the drought encompassing much of the U.S. could lead to more such schemes, Minnesota lawmakers passed a law limiting the bulk transport of water.

But those restrictions would not apply in this case, Doneen said, because bottling and selling water isn’t considered bulk transport. There are many companies in the state that put water in individual containers and ship them worldwide, he said.

Residents also asked the DNR to order an environmental review of the project. Doneen said the agency has not yet decided on the request.

Elko New Market Mayor Joe Julius said plans to develop the city’s industrial park have been in the works for 10 years. He said the Niagara project would help the city diversify its tax base and grow.

“Everything we've seen from interactions with Niagra represents that they could be a very good partner for our community,” Julius said.

He’s aware there’s a lot of philosophical objections to the plant, but thinks the city’s role is to decide on the company’s application to use the land, not to make broad statements about climate change or plastic manufacturing.

“I think if, as a state, we wanted to take a position — some higher tax rate, or preventing other other cities or states from coming in here to take resources to resell it — I think that's something that really should be handled on a state level,” Julius said. “I feel there's a proper venue and a proper route to fight those battles.”

<div _="@=701,dis=none"><div pseudo="-webkit-input-placeholder" id="placeholder" style="display: block !important;" _="@=702,dis=none,[@=703]">What questions or thoughts do you have about this proposed bottling plant? Share them with us!</div><div _="@=704,dis=none"></div></div>

Niagra bottling company drawing scrutiny in Scott County

A proposed large-scale water bottling plant south of the metro is generating opposition in the Scott County community of Elko New Market, with a city council meeting planned later this week that's expected to draw lots of discussion.

ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn. (FOX 9) - A proposed large-scale water bottling plant south of the metro is generating opposition in the Scott County community of Elko New Market.

Niagara Bottling wants to build a 425,000-square-foot facility in a new industrial park along I-35 the city hopes to expand in the coming years.

Niagara would invest $125 million in direct capital, drawing water to bottle from Elko New Market’s aquifer system for its beverage line.

City leaders insist the infrastructure can handle the water demands and believe the project will add jobs and pay financial dividends in the long run.

But some in the community including local farmers question the environmental impact of the new plant.

"I am worried about our resource of water being taken over by people from outside of Minnesota," said Elko New Market organic farmer Tim Zweber.

Elko New Market’s long-time city administrator Tom Terry told FOX 9’s Paul Blume, "[The project] would be the catalyst for the entire industrial park in and of itself. It would be the single largest commercial or industrial project that our community has seen."

Zweber, who is the fourth generation of his family to farm their land in Elko New Market, is helping lead local opposition to the project. He says, he is worried about the impact of a large-scale water bottling plant proposal in a community with nothing close to the size of the facility and remains anxious about potential consequences to the groundwater well his family draws from to operate their nearby farm.

"My biggest concern initially when I heard about it was just, wow, that's a really big business for the town," explained Zweber.

Elko New Market has worked with Ryan Companies and other local partners for years to develop Park I-35, a 120-acre site along I-35 at County Road 2 with easy freeway access, and close proximity to the Twin Cities.

Community leaders have said Niagara’s project will diversify the tax base and create more than 50-full time jobs with annual salaries of $50-to-60,000. The city has posted a FAQ fact sheet for concerned residents.

Said Terry, "If the city felt there was going to be negative impacts to the community, we would not be pursuing this particular business."

Terry, the city administrator, confirms economic concessions have been made to help lure Niagara to Elko New Market, but insists the up-front investment will be more than made up over the long haul for a national beverage company with other options to base its upper Midwest bottling plant.

Terry reports Elko New Market has done its due diligence in advance of a critical city council meeting with public comment on the calendar for Thursday night and has said, that water supply is not going to be an issue given the city’s robust aquifer system.

Zweber though wants to see additional research done before the city green lights any project of this magnitude.

"I feel like you definitely ask for a second or third opinion about something as important as your groundwater," concluded Zweber.

A California company's plan to open a major bottling plant in the south metro has run into opposition from a group of residents, who say a heavy water user might deplete the aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern Minnesota.

Niagara Bottling, which sells bottled water to Walmart and Costco, would immediately become one of the biggest commercial water users in Scott County. It plans to eventually draw 310 million gallons of water a year from the Prairie Du Chien-Jordan aquifer and then bottle, ship and sell it across the country. That would more than triple the total public water use in Elko New Market, which drew 125 million gallons last year.

Janelle Kuznia lives less than a mile from the proposed plant and uses a private well.

"Ours could dry up, or we might have to dig a deeper well," she said. "I don't know what will happen. There have been no good studies done."

The city will hold a public hearing on the project Thursday night.

A railway sparked similar fears in neighboring Dakota County in 2019, when it proposed drilling wells to pump and ship 500 million gallons of water a year out of the state. That proposal was quickly nixed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Unlike that project, Niagara Bottling would hook up to the city's public water line. The company has opened similarly-sized plants in New Mexico, Texas, Michigan and Wisconsin in recent years.

It would create 59 full time jobs, with pay averaging between $50,000 to $60,000, according to the city. The 425,000-square-foot facility would cost $125 million to build and construction could start as soon as April. Company representatives didn't respond to phone calls and emails seeking an interview.

City leaders hope the plant will spark development in a new industrial park just off Interstate 35. Niagara Bottling would be the first facility to build on the site, said Tom Terry, city administrator.

To accommodate the facility and population growth, the city is seeking an increase from the 135 million gallons of water the DNR currently permits it to pump from the aquifer each year.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Elko New Market is in one of the metro's fastest growing areas. Officials expect its population, currently under 5,000, to double by 2040 and to someday reach as high as 80,000.

The city isn't concerned about the aquifer's ability to handle the additional demand. Even with the facility, Elko New Market would be pumping a small fraction of what many of its neighbors draw. Lakeville, with a population of 70,000, used nearly 3 billion gallons last year, much of it from the same aquifer.

Terry said he is confident the project won't affect neighboring private wells. The city's long-term growth plans were reviewed by the DNR and the Metropolitan Council. No agency has raised concerns about the aquifer's ability to handle Elko New Market's growth, he said.

"The DNR has a number of processes in place to help it monitor and protect the aquifer going forward," he said.

Residents petitioned the DNR to take a closer look. The agency has six weeks to decide whether to require the city to conduct an environmental assessment, which would determine what the additional pumping would mean for the aquifer and private wells as well as lakes and rivers.

The proposal seems to go far beyond what the city had previously anticipated in its water plan for the next decade, said Randall Doneen, a section manager for the DNR.

"For us to consider it, they will have to amend their water supply plan to make sure they can meet the type of growth they're envisioning," he said.

City Council member Josh Berg said Ryan Companies, the industrial area's developer, "has been trying to get someone in there" for at least eight years.

"It's already drinkable water that would come out of our faucets," he said. "They're not adding anything back into the environment, either."

Berg said he's most excited that the plant will help defray the high cost of water in the city by adding to the tax base. Elko New Market opened a large water treatment plant in 2016, but its cost is currently spread out over only 1,400 households.

"You'll hear that it's a great small town, community feel ... but the water's so damn expensive," he said.

Berg also said he's thrilled at how many residents are asking questions about the project and said their concerns are "absolutely something we have to think about."

His role is to "take the emotion out of it" and figure out whether the plant fits with the city's comprehensive plan and checks all the boxes regarding environmental safeguards, he said.

The average Minnesotan uses about 52 gallons of water a day, according to the DNR. By that metric, the plant will draw as much water as about 16,000 people.

Some residents support the proposal. Insurance agency owner Tim Sadusky said the additional taxes and Niagara's large water bill could help the city replace its infrastructure as it ages.

"I view this as a revenue-generating space," he said.

But Tim Zweber, who runs an organic dairy farm in town, has been concerned about water quantity and quality since he had to dig a deeper well several years ago to get the water he needed. He's one of the people petitioning for an environmental assessment.

A water bottling plant is "considerably different" than a typical business in an industrial park because it is extracting resources, he said.

He said he wants his kids to be able to farm the land if they want. "Part of being able to farm is, you know, having water," he said.

Correction: Earlier versions of this story misstated the increase in Elko New Market’s public water usage, if the plant becomes operational.

Greg Stanley is an environmental reporter for the Star Tribune. He has previously covered water issues, development and politics in Florida’s Everglades and in northern Illinois.

[email protected] 612-673-4882 greggstanley

Erin Adler is a suburban reporter covering Dakota and Scott counties for the Star Tribune, working breaking news shifts on Sundays. She previously spent three years covering K-12 education in the south metro and five months covering Carver County.

[email protected] 612-673-1781 erinStrib

I often wondered why Kwik Trips are only in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. (Yes, I know they're called Kwik Stars in Iowa, but it's the same store.)

I travel all around the Midwest and would love to get glazers and gas in other states, and I'm not alone, people love Kwik Trip. The convenience chain was named the best gas station in America by USA Today in 2022. So why can't you find Kwik Trips in other states? I asked a Kwik Trip representative during a tour of their La Crosse facility and the answer I got is the reason people love the company.

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I was told proximity is one of the most important factors that Kwik Trip considers when expanding. The company is serious about taking care of customers and wants to make sure the products they sell are as fresh as possible. Each new store has to be close enough to receive daily shipments from Kwik Trip’s headquarters in La Crosse.

By the way, Kwik Trip’s campus in La Crosse is massive. It's home to one of the largest bakeries in the entire world. They make all of their bread, donuts, and cookies there. They also bottle their milk - with a promise to have it delivered from cow to stores in 24-48 hours - and they make their ice cream in La Crosse too.

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It's an impressive operation and their dedication to quality is one of the reasons why the convenience chain was recently recognized as the best in America.

Shania from Kwik Trip recently told us about the new stores being built in Minnesota and the new feature that each one will have.

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Last year, Kwik Trip's big addition was BitCoin machines in each of its stores. This year, it's a self-check-out option. Shania said the company plans to add this feature to all stores that were built in 2022 and every new one going forward.

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Kwik Trip will continue expanding throughout Minnesota with 11 new stores planned for 2023. They will open in these towns:

Centerville

Lino Lakes

Elko New Market

Worthington

Redwood Falls

East Bethel

Melrose

Kasson

Cambridge

Marshall

Luverne

SEE ALSO: Did you know that Kwik Trip hides something in each of its stores? Click here to read what it is, why it's special, and where to find it.

Responses Heard To 'See You Next Time' In Minnesota & Wisconsin Kwik Trip Stores

How do you respond to the Kwik Trip trademark phrase "see you next time"? These are some responses heard in stores across Minnesota and Wisconsin. The last one is probably one of my favorites!

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Thank you

This might be the most common response I've heard from customers in my visits. I've even been known to say this one as well. Certainly not creative, but as safe response. They get more interesting from here!

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

You will?

This is an older one, but it made me laugh. In the early days of Kwik Trip in Northern Minnesota, there was a large audience of people that didn't know this was part of the Kwik Trip experience. There was an older man who initially seemed confused, then pleasantly surprised as the employee said in a friendly manner "sure, I'll be here for you next time!" How kind and reassuring is that? Nice work, employee. Nice work.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

You betcha!

I feel like an examination of this person's shopping bag would reveal a case of Mich Golden Light, a container of Top The Tater, and the fixin's to make a tater tot hotdish. It is just that 'Minnesota'. It also ranks up there as one of the better (albeit stereotypical) responses a person could give.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

I love you too

This one came from a friend of mine. He's notorious for off-the-cuff verbal antics, especially at places like restaurants. When given the "see you next time" he responded "love you too" without missing a beat. The employee didn't know what to say, and my friend just walked away from the counter with a "nailed it" smirk on his face.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Alrighty then

I'm not sure it was this person's weak attempt at an Ace Ventura impression or what the source of this response was, but it did put visions of Jim Carrey in character replying to the employee in this situation.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Bye now!

How much more 'Minnesota mom' does it get? You couldn't draw this up any better if you were casing and filming a commercial. A hockey mom-looking woman with two kids in tow fires off a "bye now!" in response to "see you next time". Absolutely incredible.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

No doubt, no doubt

This one seems far more transparently positive than the last one. I also want to credit this guy with affirming that he will indeed see them next time - without any doubt.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

I'll be the judge of that

This is one of those responses I wish I could get a backstory for. The guy didn't seem angry, but he offered this unique response as he walked away from the cash register. I hope he was just being playful and that he did, indeed, see them again next time.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

No, see YOU next time

I'll admit, I openly laughed out loud when I witnessed this happen. The customer fired back a cheerful "No, see YOU next time" and even gave the cheesy finger guns point at the employee before walking away. I'm going to guess that's the first time that employee got a response like that from a customer.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Tell y'er folks I say hi

I'm not sure if this person has just seen too many Charlie Berens videos, or if they actually know the employee and are legitimately using the phrase often heard around the Midwest. Either way, perfection.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Take care, now

A little less personal than the "tell y'er folks I say hi", this is another one of those goodbye statements said out of reflex by so many in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I feel like it's probably one of the more fitting responses a person could give to "see you next time", as well.

Google Street View/TSM Duluth

Oh, you will

I heard this one from an elderly woman just a couple of days ago. She was walking toward the door as the employee said "see you next time", and she responded with this gem of a response. It feels like something a supervillain would say. I can't say I know the true tone with which she meant this, but it was certainly one of the most memorable responses I've heard.