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After 75 years at the fair, Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall has continued to have a pull on its volunteers.
Jim Zieba, 77, started in his teens. According to him, it was an unsaid understanding that helping out was mandatory if you were in confirmation class.
“It was almost a sin to miss church unless it was State Fair time, and we were all hauled here to peel potatoes and chop vegetables,” he said.
In the 1950s, church dining halls ran the Minnesota State Fair. There was no such thing as fast food at the fair, and the halls offered sit-down meals for farmers and fairgoers to rest.
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There were 26 church-ran dining halls in that decade, but 75 years later, only two remain — Hamline Church Dining Hall and Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall.
As Salem reflects on the last several decades, they said the only way they could sustain their dining hall is through evolving with the changing fair guests.
In 1962, things were tapering off with Salem. Zieba’s dad and others got together to help save the hall.
“They were able to make some changes and bring the thing back to life again,” he said.
They cut the evening shift at the time because where they are located, formerly Machinery Hill, was known for early mornings and farm equipment. There wasn’t too much traffic later in the day.
In the years since, they have outsourced staff from other churches, had guests volunteer and introduced new menu items. Crowd numbers have not been an issue in the 21st century. The concern now is ensuring the number of volunteers.
Steve Johnson, 70, is the manager of the dining hall. He describes Salem as a multi-generational family affair. People continue volunteering because their parents did — or grandparents — but the number of active members from the north Minneapolis parish has dwindled.
“Every year, by the grace of God, we wind up figuring out some way to get the shifts covered and every job done. So as long as we can keep on doing that, we’ll be here,” Johnson said. “We’ve changed and adapted as the fair clientele has changed. This is one of the few places where you can actually sit down.”
Marcia Peterson, 79, follows the pattern of the average Salem volunteer. She started working as a teenager at the dining hall and felt right at home. Alongside the buzz of the fair, there was a corner on the North End with community-style eating and comfort food.
She got married and became a teacher and was not able to return until 2012. The dining hall was a place that held many memories for her, summers with her parents and friends — she knew she needed to come back.
“I wanted to carry on the tradition, my mother was very instrumental in the fair,” Peterson said. “I love our customers that come and say ‘Oh I come here every year’ — that is why I keep doing it. I think maybe I won’t but I end up doing it anyway.”
One thing that makes them stand out against the other food options — their Swedish Egg Coffee. Zieba is the expert and took over the craft in the late 1980s. The coffee delicacy has smashed eggs in the grounds and is boiled. Zieba says he makes about 40 cups at a time.
He describes the dining hall's most popular item as mild and smooth, and a must-stop for many morning fairgoers. During the fair, Zieba says he walks about 5 to 7 miles a day while perfecting the coffee. Last year, the coffee alone brought in $30,000.
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Other iconic menu items include the Swedish meatballs, meatball sundae and a new item this year: the Swedish ice cream sundae. This was invented by Peterson and consists of lingonberry jam and Swedish ginger cookie crumble.
While the food is good, Johnson says at the end of the 12 days of the fair, it all comes down to the people who work to continue to showcase why dining halls are so important to hang on to.
“My 8-year-old grandson is chomping at the bit to work here. A lot of it is the continuity of it … I walk into the building and I can almost feel the spirit of those people who were working here when I was a kid who have passed on. To me, that’s what makes it fun. Those are the lasting memories.”
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- Riding roller coaster of weather and attendance, Minnesota State Fair heads into final weekend
