Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Halverson and Jessie Siiter.
Hi Eric and Jessie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Eric and I met working in a Mediterranean Restaurant on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul (Shish, it is still there, and fantastic! We highly recommend), while attending college, nearly 20 years ago. Falling in love with both each other, and the restaurant industry, we built our lives working in different Twin Cities restaurants in many capacities. Eric spent time working with amazing chefs, garnering hands-on knowledge of food and drink. Eric has also always had an amazing ability to dive 1000% into anything he cares about, spending free time reading, cooking, and experimenting for friends and family. He doesn’t like to be called chef, or an artist, but I would have to argue that he exemplifies the qualities of both. My journey focused far more on the guest experience, and the joys (and sometimes tribulations) of working the front of the house. I have always deeply loved making guest connections, providing joy, and making every person feel special and seen.
In 2018 we made the difficult decision to leave the Twin Cities and relocate to my hometown in Northern Minnesota (Grand Rapids). Our children were young, and being close to family seemed necessary. While I took to working in destination marketing upon our arrival (a job that taught me valuable lessons I utilize daily running our own marketing here at Ledger & Ladle), Eric was able to helm the kitchen team of an, at the time, brand new brewery opening in our town, Rapids Brewing Company. He designed the kitchen, the menu, hired staff, and ran daily operations. We couldn’t believe the luck of falling into such a job in a small rural area.
Then Covid.
Once Covid hit Eric took a step back from the kitchen life. We were able to slow down and spend time together as a family. At the time, I made Eric promise ‘no more kitchens, unless it is ours’. While we deeply loved the restaurant industry, the time running a kitchen was a strain on our young family, and we needed a break.
Fast forward to 2024. The investment group that had originally opened the Brewery had aquired two new buildings in the downtown Grand Rapids area, and we were approached to take one over for a food-focused restaurant. It was the restaurant that was ours to conceptualize, build and run. Truly a dream come true.
We are not quite a year into operations, and as anyone who knows will attest, there are so many ups and downs in the first few years of business. I am happy, however, to report that the ups greatly outweigh the downs. We have built an amazing staff who are so willing to learn and grow with us, they are truly a gift. Our children are able to come to work with us, and our now 17 year old has been able to work, hosting, bussing, and crafting some pretty tasting Non Alcoholic Cocktails! Above all, we have a core of fantastic regular guests, who now feel more like family then patrons.
As September 10th will mark our first year in business, we look forward to growing our little restaurant into something that can provide our community with culinary explorations, friendly service, and a warm atmosphere to make you feel at home.
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?
Being in a rural vacation town means you live for the summer. Every business in town relies on the influx of tourism to boost sales. Our greatest hope was to be open for the summer of 2025. Construction had other plans. We, sadly, opened our doors post Labor Day, in the fall of 2025. Winters are tough. Winters as a brand-new business can be brutal.
However, despite the quiet days, we were able to take the quiet season to work with staff, build strong relationships with guests, and generally get our sea legs. Growth was slow, but steady, and summer, so far, has been fantastic!
Another struggle, as one can imagine, is running a business as a husband-and-wife team with our family. Learning to shut off work at home has been difficult at times, and finding the balance of being ‘mom mom, vs boss mom’ is interesting. We have learned that, above all, open and honest communication is key. Sometimes it is okay to say ‘can we table this topic’ and even scheduling times to talk about business so that it doesn’t invade our entire lives. I do believe it has tested and strengthened our family, and we are better for the experience.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When we conceptualized Ledger & Ladle, we looked to our region to see what was missing in the local restaurant scene. For anyone who has spent time in Northern Minnesota you will know that finding, pizza, burgers, and wings is not just an expectation, but a guarantee. For a fancy night out, you will potentially find somewhere to have a prime rib, pasta, and walleye. We wanted to offer something completely different. Rather than focusing on one singular concept, we decided to look at Ledger & Ladle as a rotating menu. Every three to four months we completely change our menu, focusing on different regions, cuisines, and techniques. In between each major menu concept we run small 2 week pop ups, providing a slightly more casual dining experience and unique offerings.
So far, we opened in September as a French Bistro concept, offering our takes on some French classics like potato pavé, Gnocchi Parisienne, and Duck a l’orange. We also tailor our craft cocktails to match the current menu theme. For two weeks at the end of the French menu we did 2 weeks of a Ramen Shack pop-up (a wildly popular 2 weeks that will likely return this winter). For the winter we headed to the British Isles, providing the hearty comfort cooking of the regions countryside. Fish & Chips, Shepards Pie, and cockles were amongst the offerings, all prepared with the attention to flavor and detail our kitchen is known to provide. Our next two-week pop-up paid homage to LA Street food, with some great street tacos, kimchi poutine, and an amazing rice dish. Currently we are in our 3rd major menu concept, exploring the foods of the Iberian Peninsula. This tapas focused menu has been a blast! Bringing bright flavors, and unique bites to our small community.
Outside of craft cocktails and rotating food menu, we have also worked diligently to provide an extensive and amazing wine list focused on wines from around the world. Northern Minnesota is known for its appetite for beer and bourbon, and we want to introduce the beauty of drinking the perfectly paired glass of wine with a meal. We currently offer nearly 50 different wines by the glass, from some of the greatest wine regions in the world. We have implemented an aggressive happy hour (1/2 off all glasses of wine), and a wine passport program to encourage guests to explore new wines!
How do you define success?
For us, success is built upon the happiness of our guests. Providing excellent food, drink and service, and ‘wow-ing’ each guest is a win for us. While every restaurant looks at this as a marker of success, we believe that this begins with our own passion and enthusiasm. We often say, you don’t get into the restaurant industry for wealth, you do it because you love good food, good wine and a great conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ledgerandladle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledgerandladle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573054455703
