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Eric Dayton is a childhood friend and a fellow hockey goalie. As kids living in Southwest Minneapolis, we played baseball and hockey together. Eric is one of the smartest guys I know. Eric and I stayed in touch here and there over the years but it had been several years since we last saw each other. We played hockey for Southwest in our early years and were lucky enough to have a former all-state goaltender Mark Dayton as our private coach. Eric was a fierce competitor on the baseball field and ice rink. I have great memories of attending Vladislav Tretiak’s Goaltending School with Eric as High School kids. His work ethic and ability to make all the other goaltenders laugh were what I remember most. It was fun to visit the businesses he has built, to see how happy the people around him are, and to sit down reminisce and catch up with him.

The Business Side

Eric and his brother Andrew founded three of North Loops’ hottest destinations for food, drink, and dress. The Bachelor Farmer, Marvel Bar, and Askov Finlayson have been racking up awards and accolades since opening in 2011. Most recently they opened up The Bachelor Farmer Cafe in the space previously occupied by Askov Finlayson. They moved Askov Finlayson to a larger space next door to make way for the 1,000-square-foot cafe in the same building as their Bachelor Farmer restaurant.

Eric’s Humble Advice

Getting Eric to open up about his personal accomplishments is never easy. He is incredibly down to earth and humble. In this short podcast interview, I was able to get Eric to talk about some of the steps he’s taken since purchasing the North Loop Real Estate in 2009 and developing it into a thriving food, entertainment, and retail destination. Eric shares some advice and stories about business and life. One of the key takeaways for me is the importance of building a strong team and hiring the right talent.