Fischerville Coffee House and Bella Boutique Change Mendota Heights Ownership

Bella Boutique and Fischerville Coffee House continue to change hands among Mendota Heights business owners.

The two businesses rent space in the historic Fischerville building on Dodd Road.

Both businesses, formerly owned by Cindy Schweiger, changed ownership in November and are now owned by another Mendota Heights woman, Susan Engelhart, who operates them with her husband Bob Engelhart.

Susan said she approached the Schweigers in November about buying the businesses. The inspiration, she said, came from her husband Bob.

On a snowy morning early last winter, Bob had stopped by the coffee shop as they were preparing to open, said Susan. “He grabbed a shovel and started shoveling the sidewalks for them. He realized that he loved it, and that was what he wanted to do.”

Susan is no stranger to small business, and continues to operate Visiting Angels, a home care agency, as well.

Engelhart said the boutique will eventually take on more of her personal style, and will include some local artisans. Hours for both businesses will be expanded, and she’s working on bringing on a local roaster for the coffee shop as well as boxed lunch options for local business catering.

One more change that could be in the works is a change of ownership for the property itself. Susan said that she’s interested in purchasing the property, and providing that stability to her employees.

In the meantime, the land and building are owned by Drake Bank. A proposal to purchase a neighboring vacant lot and turn the building into a restaurant fell through in November of 2011 when Drake declined an offer for the property.