Chatting Up Mr. D’s: Sartell Restaurant Owner Reflects on 6 Months of Great Food, Community & Growth

Mr. D's restaurant and bar is proudly local and family-owned. They serve up burgers, dinner plates, sandwiches, fresh salads, and a robust rotation of specials in a comfortable, family-friendly space complete with arcade games.

Mr. D's opened 6 months ago — the realization of Kenny and Amber Dumpprope's family dream. Kenny stepped away for a few minutes to reflect on the milestone and share plans for the future:

AM 1240 WJON: What are your favorite memories and accomplishments over the past 6 months?

Kenny: Amber and I really enjoy seeing all the families coming in and enjoying the space and food that the whole staff has created. Seeing all the kids' faces light up when they see the games is something that will never get old. Having our kids helping with some of our Facebook live videos is something I look back on as a favorite memory. Lastly, I would say just looking back at all the time and work we put into creating Mr. D's is a fantastic memory in itself.

Some accomplishments that come to mind are: celebrating our 6-month anniversary in February, which is an accomplishment in itself, and partnering with local businesses, schools, and sports teams with sponsorships or catering! Another accomplishment would be bringing in Tuesday General Trivia and seeing how excited people are about coming in and enjoying that.

AM 1240 WJON: What are some things you've worked hard to improve during the past 6 months?

Kenny: The two biggest things we worked hard to improve are putting more bar-type or classic central Minnesota dishes or entrees on our menu. The biggest constructive advice we got from our initial customers was to have more staff to ensure proper service. We have found our busy times and have adjusted accordingly so Mr. D's can provide the service we expect. We have streamlined many of our processes while maintaining our standard for making fresh, handcrafted food at a very reasonable price right here in the heart of Sartell.

AM 1240 WJON: What goals do you have for yourself and your team in the coming 6 months?

Kenny: For the next 6 months, we have a goal to really get our name out in the community as one of the best catering businesses in the area, both liquor and food. We want to continue to build on the momentum we have currently and keep building Mr. D's into a go-to spot for food, drink, and good times.

Also, we want to bring Bingo, meat raffles, tournaments, and other fun activities to continue to make Mr. D's the best place to have fun in Sartell and the surrounding area!

AM 1240 WJON: What have been your most popular menu items? Any recent additions?

Kenny: Initially, our pulled pork mac and cheese was by far the most popular menu item, followed by a couple of our hand-rolled burgers with house-cut French fries.  However, recently it's been our adobo chicken pressed panini, made with our house-made pico de gallo, bacon, housemade jalepeno creme, topped with melted pepperjack cheese, all on sourdough bread. Our most popular starter has been our whipped cream and goat cheese dip with hot honey and pita chips.

AM 1240 WJON: Any special community events you have planned for March and beyond?

Kenny: We have a few events planned for the next couple of months. These include a kids' cooking class with Chef Mike! We will be doing a 6-month "Grand Reopening" event as well.  Dates are to be determined for those.

We are planning on doing another tap takeover event with music, games, giveaways, and more sometime in June.