BEMIDJI — Malls around the world feature both shopping outlets and food joints for good reason, to create the perfect equilibrium between shopping and lunch.
Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan Mall features big names like JCPenney, Hobby Lobby, Dunham’s Sports and more. However, for several years there have been no food or drink spots.
But as of last week, that’s no longer the case.
Eric Cerroni’s Blue Ox Soda Shop held a soft opening before Thanksgiving and is set for a full-scale grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 14. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays in the former Dairy Queen location next to JCPenney’s main entrance.
The Blue Ox Soda Shop holds a large menu of regular sodas, Italian sodas, dirty sodas, coffee, “busy lemonades” and more. With numerous syrups and soda options, patrons can craft their own unique drinks with each visit.
And Cerroni has everyone covered, including drinks resembling the Mounds candy bar — Dr. Pepper with chocolate syrup and cream; Coke Cherry Cordial — Cherry Coke with dark chocolate and cream; and a drink incorporating Swedish Fish — fizzy lemonade with blue razzberry and Swedish Fish; to name a few.
“I wanted to do something to serve my community,” Cerroni said. “When we got up here three years ago, I heard somebody complaining that the mall just isn’t a mall without something to drink.”
Initially, Cerroni only wanted to run a drink shop, but after further deliberation with the community that welcomed him to Bemidji, he decided to offer more.
After securing the final piece of a fire suppression system, he will be able to flip burgers, establishing the first food court in the mall since 2021 following
the spot the soda shop now calls home.
TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer
“I really wanted to be just a soda shop, but I told everybody I was listening and heard (them). I think once the smell of food is lingering through here things will get a lot better,” Cerroni said, adding that he hopes more restaurants grace Paul Bunyan Mall in the future.
The plan is to offer individual food items — not meals — like burgers, fries, jalapeño poppers and more for affordable prices.
“Prices are gonna stay low here,” Cerroni said. “I’m not trying to be a millionaire, I’m not trying to get rich. I just want to make ends meet. Now you can come back to the mall. You can take your kids here. A family of five is going to be able to get a treat for under 20 bucks. Your drinks, your way.”
And down the road, Cerroni hopes to add ice cream to the menu, the near-perfect companion to soda.
Cerroni, a disabled veteran, said he had grown tired of the job market and devised a plan to become his own boss.
When he moved to Bemidji from Utah with his family three years ago, the conceptualization of the soda shop began.
And it was inspired by the drink landscape of home, which features more soda bars than actual bars due to stricter regulations on alcohol. These soda bars are family-friendly and widespread, making the mall the perfect destination.
TJ Rhodes / Bemidji Pioneer
Cerroni began this journey with classes through the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, which then set him up with a partnership with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation.
Throughout this journey, Cerroni has been helped by many other businesses as well, including Naylor Heating and Refrigeration, Hills Plumbing and Heating, Mako Fire Group and the city of Bemidji.
“They’re all really good people and they’ve all been working with me,” Cerroni said. “They all want to see this succeed so we can get this done for our community.”
Once he secured a spot at the mall, the physical labor ensued. Cerroni spent over seven months remodeling the food court area of the restaurant by himself by designing the space, painting it and building unique tables to complete the atmosphere.
“It’s just a dream (to be open),” he added. “(This) gives me an opportunity to be financially independent again and it gives me a chance to show my kids what hard work can do.”
Cerroni’s three children Ethan, Leo and Jack, and his wife, Laurie, have all been helping out around the shop as well.
He shared how one of his dreams had been to be a teacher because of the positive impact it could bring, and now, feels the soda shop is giving him a second chance at that.
“I like seeing people smile; I’m a people pleaser,” Cerroni said. “There’s so much bad in the world today, and this is my attempt at trying to leave a (positive) mark. Serving other people is what’s going to bring us together, make us stronger and make us better.”