DEXTER – According to Ron Barthel, "You ain’t seen nothin’ yet at the Windmill Restaurant and Truck Stop.

Thursday, March 22, 2001

DEXTER – According to Ron Barthel, "You ain’t seen nothin’ yet at the Windmill Restaurant and Truck Stop."

The new owner has ambitious plans for the landmark along Interstate 90 at the intersection with Highway 16, beginning with the name.

When new signage is erected, the old Windmill will become the Windmill Travel Center and Pine Cone Restaurant.

But that is only one of the changes being planned by Barthel. By early summer, the truck stop will have evolved into a high-technology, customer-friendly travel center the likes of which have not been seen before.

"It’s a challenge, but it’s what I enjoy," he said of the tasks ahead of him before the anticipated grand reopening by Memorial Day or shortly thereafter.

The new owner is a native of Wisconsin. He has two brothers, a certified public accountant at St. Michael’s and a doctor at Spencer, Iowa, and two sisters, one a Milwaukee, Wis. hospital vice president and the other a homemaker, married to a major in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

His father is deceased and his mother lives at Spencer.

His wife, Anna, works as a hostess, assisting Becky Hartwig, the manager.

The couple has two sons, Andy, 12, Cory, 10, and a daughter, Katie, 8.

The "Windmill," as the collection of businesses are known, has been a familiar oasis for interstate travelers and area motorists for decades and it gives tiny Dexter an instant claim to freeway fame.

For 25 years, Barthel has worked in the travel center business with operations in California and Arizona and also a fiber manufacturing plant in Oregon. At the same time, he is resurrecting the Windmill, he also has a new travel center operation debuting at Albany, Ore.

But there’s more to Barthel’s business interests than meets the eye. For instance, he is a national distributor for the hand-held terminals used in today’s restaurants and designed to keep servers on the floor longer, where they can focus on customer service.

Jim Glover, who owns the land and buildings, called his friend, Barthel, when the Windmill’s previous owners were forced to sell their business. "I really didn’t want to become involved, because of my other business interests and the new operation we were launching in Oregon," admitted Barthel.

However, Glover, a friend and business role model, persuaded Barthel to leave sunny Arizona long enough to "take a look."

He came to Minnesota, assessed the situation and 45 days later Barthel closed with Glover on a business deal to take over the Windmill operations.

Now, Barthel is in the process of revitalizing the facilities. Already, the restaurant has been closed to remodel the kitchen area and install new equipment.

The restaurant will be redecorated, the convenience store remodeled and literally an entire face-lift, inside and out, will be completed.

New fuel pumps will be installed and canopies erected over both the diesel and regular fueling areas. The new pumps will be state-of-the-art high-speed variety and come with the 24/7 credit card capabilities for billing purposes.

"The old convenience store was more of a gift shop, but that doesn’t work," he said. "We’re going to feature more of the staple food and household items that people need."

In addition, there will be a "hot bar" with soups and chili for the busy traveler on the go.

The restaurant will still feature sandwiches, soups and full-course meals, but Barthel’s business plan clearly is to streamline the Windmill operations and make them more cost-efficient.

All 30 employees, both full- and part-time, will become "team players" in accordance with Barthel’s philosophy. "I do not like weak links. I like to set goals, observe a budget and a plan and meet those goals."

Until that much anticipated day this summer, when the Windmill Travel Center and Pine Cones Restaurant is officially declared open, travelers will see a steady metamorphosis of a truck stop into a modern travel center.

Quality food at moderate prices, friendly waiters and managers, household necessities and travel accessories, plus a full tank of gas.

Barthel wants it all for Windmill customers.