Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Clapp.
Hi Rob, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. I was born in Florida, and after getting into a little too much trouble in my younger years, I found myself with two choices—Boys Town in Omaha or moving to Saint Paul to live with my dad. That was an easy decision.
As a young father raising a family, I worked two restaurant jobs while going to school, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. One day, while getting my haircut—back when I still had hair—I noticed the receptionist had just become a real estate agent. Something clicked. Both of my grandparents had been successful agents in Florida, and I had fond memories of tagging along with my grandfather to showings, meetings, and lunches. With that inspiration, and encouragement from the receptionist, I decided to give real estate a try.
First, though, I had to raise the money for classes and licensing. That same year, fireworks were legalized in Minnesota, so I opened one of the first fireworks stands in Saint Paul and earned enough to pay for school. From there, I jumped into real estate with everything I had—earning early accolades, including Realtor Magazine’s 40 Under 40 award.
I started in residential real estate, then moved into multifamily and land development. When the 2008 recession hit, I lost everything. Declaring bankruptcy would’ve been the easy way out, but instead, I spent years working my way out of debt. That experience taught me resilience and shifted my focus to commercial real estate—especially retail, hospitality, breweries, and non-profits.
I’ve always done things the hard way—self-taught, no mentors, no AI—just persistence and curiosity. Eventually, I caught the entrepreneurial itch again and began developing my own hospitality concepts. My first big idea was a floating bar and restaurant (still on my bucket list), but while planning that, I got involved with a group building a seasonal mini-golf project. That collaboration became Can Can Wonderland. Over time, I took over as sole owner in 2019.
We survived the pandemic against all odds, and in recent years, I’ve focused on redeveloping the historic Hamm’s Brewery Campus in Saint Paul and pursuing other creative ventures that keep my entrepreneurial spirit alive.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No—it never has been, and I don’t expect it ever will be. That’s the reality of being an entrepreneur, especially a creative one. You have to learn to thrive in chaos, to ride the daily rollercoaster of wins and setbacks.
The hardest periods of my life were the Great Recession, my wifes breast cancer battle and the pandemic. All of them tested every ounce of resolve I had. Now, we’re facing a new wave of challenges—shifting consumer behavior, economic uncertainty, and eroding confidence—but that’s the nature of entrepreneurship. You adapt, you evolve, and you keep building.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For a long time, I didn’t think of myself as a creative person. I couldn’t draw or paint, and I didn’t have what I thought of as “traditional artist skills.” But over the years, whenever I’d talk to friends, family, or even strangers about my business ideas, they’d tell me how creative and unique they were.
When I heard the term creative entrepreneur, it finally clicked. That’s exactly what I am. I’m constantly thinking about new ideas and experiences I want to bring to life—blending business, community, and imagination into something tangible.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up mostly as an only child in Florida—a latch-key kid with a lot of freedom. My days were filled with skateboarding, music, hanging out with friends, and, admittedly, a fair bit of mischief.
Even back then, I had an entrepreneurial streak. I never stuck with just one group of people—I could move easily between different circles, which I think helped me later in life when it came to connecting with all kinds of people and building diverse teams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://darkhorsestp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkhorsestpaul/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkHorseStPaul
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/12201976/
- Other: https://www.eclectiveco.com/
