Outlook Magazine - Fall 2017

ALUMNI NEWS

GIVING BACK GAME TO THE

TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN CONT.

Seventeen years later, it’s going so strong that it has spawned a second establishment, Pedro’s Del Este, or “to the east,” separated by only an outdoor eating area. Pedro’s Del Este opened recently to capture some of the wait-list traffic from San Pedro Cafe, but it is open later, has more of a lounge feel and the menu skews toward Cuban and Latin- themed options. After starting his career working banquets in the hotel industry, Foster is loving life as a restaurateur. He also owns Barker’s Bar & Grill, where he grew up as a jack-of-all-trades and paid for his UW-Stout education. Barker’s is across the street from San Pedro Cafe in downtown Hudson. Barker’s, in fact, brought Foster back to Hudson when the namesake owner wanted to spend more time sailing in the Caribbean — the seed for San Pedro Cafe — and needed a business partner. “I couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out, and I’ve had a lot of support from family and friends,” said Foster, also a partner in the Tamarack Tap Room in nearby Woodbury, Minn. “I get excited about running my own business and making my own decisions.” He and his wife, Laura, have four daughters and love to vacation in Key West, Fla. After a recent trip to Cuba, they brought back original artwork and hundreds of photos for Pedro’s Del Este. Foster is quick to credit others for his success, such as his hospitality professors at UW-Stout. He calls his 150 employees, led by Director of Restaurant Operations Susie Halverson, his most important business asset. “The whole hospitality piece is what really drives me. That’s why we focus on customer service. The employees are the ones who make it possible. If the employees are not enjoying their job and representing me the way I want them to, we fail,” he said. San Pedro Cafe opened after two years of renovations in a building that housed the Bank of Hudson in 1872. Now, people are drawn there for blackened fish tacos, Yucatan pork stew, Jamaican jerk chicken, spiced red grouper, Cuban meatloaf or specialty wood-fired pizza or pasta and various other entrees, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. While the restaurant has won a vault full of awards, from Trip Advisor, Wine Spectator, Minnesota Monthly, Minneapolis- St. Paul magazine and others, Foster is most proud of the several hundred positive customer reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp. “That’s the real deal by real customers, accolades from people who keep us open every day,” he said.

Former coach Dwain “Dewey” Mintz was recognized Dec. 10 when the basketball court at Johnson Fieldhouse was named in his honor.

The Blue Devils upgraded facilities in 2016-17 and hosted a national championship

The Sports and Fitness Center and adjoining Johnson Fieldhouse, home to UW- Stout Athletics, were improved for athletes and fans in 2016-17 — thanks to fundraising efforts led by two head coaches and supported by more than 120 donors. Football lockers: The football locker room was renovated for the first time in 30 years. Coach Clayt Birmingham led the effort, with major support from alumni Mark LaLonde ’92, Greg Mickelson ’67 and the family of former player Marty Platek, who died in 2009. In nine months, enough funding was raised to begin the $100,000 project, and 100 new pro-style lockers were installed prior to the 2016 season. Donations, including for sponsors of individual lockers, still are being accepted. Mintz Court and Johnson Fieldhouse: A dedication of the Johnson Fieldhouse court Dec. 10 in honor of longtime men’s basketball coach Dwain “Dewey” Mintz was part of a $50,000 Johnson Fieldhouse fundraising effort. Other changes included facility branding, expanding the Blue Devil suites and a new scorer’s table. The project, led by men’s Coach Eddie Andrist, was made possible through the support of alumni and the community. Donations still are being accepted for the Name the Court campaign. Fans entering Johnson Fieldhouse also will pass through new, expanded east-west entrances, which were finished in spring 2017. (cont. on next page)

“Coach Mintz was a mentor to many basketball players and instilled in them many of the qualities and disciplines which we all used in our lives and careers after leaving the court and campus of UW-Stout,” said UW-Stout Hall of Fame member Bill Heidemann. “Coach Mintz would make us aware of the importance of ‘the whole is greater than any one part.'”

Pete Foster and some of his staff at San Pedro Cafe.

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