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New shops and teen entrepreneurs fuel business boom in Golden Prairie District outside Hawley
Summary
Six businesses have opened this year in the Golden Prairie District on Hawley’s outskirts, developers and owners said, with young entrepreneurs and services aimed at keeping residents local and drawing traffic from U.S. Highway 10.
Several new businesses have opened in the Golden Prairie District on the outskirts of Hawley, and local developers and owners say the cluster is turning highway traffic into customers.
"Hawley's always been here as a community, right? And this traffic has always been here, but now we're giving individuals...we're giving that traffic on Highway 10 a reason to stop and pull into Hawley," said Austin Peterson, identified in the report as a local land developer and Hawley resident.
Peterson told the reporter that six businesses have started in the district this year; the earliest opened in April and the newest marked its grand opening on Sunday. He said the development sits near U.S. Highway 10, which he estimated carries about 18,000 vehicles a day, and he hopes the new services will keep residents in town and draw regional visitors.
Kenny, co‑owner of Klass Cutz, said the shop was created to fill a gap: "I had a vision...which places that doesn't really have a barbershop, and we're glad we were the first, the first barbershop in Hawley." The report also notes Hang Ten, a party venue that opened in April, and quotes another participant, Matt, who said it is "really fun" to see several businesses open and thrive in the area.
Young entrepreneurs are prominent among the new arrivals. Bryce Skogen, who started Lake Country Wraps at 17, said he moved his shop into the Golden Prairie District in April and is pleased to be part of the growing commercial mix: "It's awesome to see the other businesses moving into the area...the town that's growing."
Photographer Lexie Mathias, who operates Lexie Jo's Photography and is a high‑school senior, said she is already booking clients from Fargo and Grand Forks and handles weekly sports photography for local schools. "I try to get everything done as soon as I can, and I try to be a teenager at the same time," she said. The report adds that Mathias recently won a best‑in‑digital‑photography award at the Minnesota High School League art show.
Peterson described the district's aim as creating an "uptown atmosphere" by filling pent‑up demand for core services. The report does not cite independent traffic counts or economic studies to verify the developer's figures or projections.
Reporting in Hawley, Hunter Schwartz, WDAY News.
