Annandale lost a true entrepreneur on Tuesday, Dec. 1, when Bernard "Bud" Garthe died at the age of 62.
Few, if any, local people can claim to have created and opened as many businesses as Garthe did.
While best known as the founder of Bernatello’s Pizza, Garthe opened many businesses before and after Bernatello’s.
"Bud was a true entrepreneur, always reaching for the ring and a guy that loved to make the sale," said Gary Miller, friend and one-time business partner of Garthe.
Moving to Annandale
Garthe was born in Brainerd in 1953. His father, Bernard Sr., had died before to his birth. His mother Violet married Russell Huro and the family moved to Minneapolis.
In 1963 the family moved to Annandale. Miller and Garthe hung around each other and were good friends.
"We had kind of a neighborhood gang," Miller said. "We even made our own ballpark and called it Candlestick Park. Bud was actually a pretty good athlete in junior high, but he broke his leg climbing a fence going after a fly ball. That kind of soured Bud on sports.
I don’t think he played any ball in high school."
Miller described Garthe as more of a "wrench guy," as he loved working with cars.
"He liked the fast, powerful cars," Miller said. It was the age of drag racing and I remember him having a GTO and a Super Bee."
Movies and bowling
Garthe and Miller both graduated in 1971. Miller went off to college and Garthe worked as a mechanic at Country Chevrolet. When Miller finished college in 1974 he returned home to Annandale.
"Bud got the idea that we should reopen the Dale movie theater in town," Miller said.
The Dale had been closed for quite a few years.
"Bud and I approached members of the Muller family, who had owned the theater in Maple Lake and the Dale," Miller said. "They were excited about us reopening the theater were very helpful in giving us a good start."
Garthe and Miller did some painting and cleaning up and the theater reopened.
"It hardly took any money," Miller said.
It was a part-time endeavor for both of them. Garthe was still working at Country Chevrolet and Miller at Logeais station. Girlfriends and Garthe’s wife Debbie helped at the theater as well.
"We did well with the theater," Miller said. "We would fill the place up with kids on Saturday afternoons."
In 1975 Garthe learned that the bowling alley in Annandale was for sale. He and Miller bought the business on a contract for deed, mostly with profits made running the theater.
"We went to the Annandale State Bank and they told us that since we had taken a chance on the theater and were successful, they were willing to take a chance on us," Miller said.
It became too much to run both the theater and the bowling alley, so the Dale once again closed about a year after the bowling alley opened.
According to Miller, after two years of operating the bowling alley the pair had doubled their investment.
"Bud approached me and suggested that one of us should buy the other out," Miller said. "It was decided that I would buy Bud out. It was a friendly buy-out and in 1976 our business relationship ended."
Bernie’s Dugout
Garthe took the money from the buyout and bought Ray’s Bar and Grill (now Lu’s Cafe). He renamed it Bernie’s Dugout.
It was at Bernie’s Dugout that Garthe first started marketing his pizzas. Starting out as Bud’s Pizza, they were sold to many bars and bowling alleys in the late 1970s.
With two partners in the early 1980s, a production facility was started in the Annandale Business Park. The pizzas were then sold as "Bernie’s Pizza."
Garthe moved the production facilties to Norwood and later to Maple Lake. In 1982 Bill Ramsay bought a 50-percent share and the name of the company was changed to Bernatello’s Pizza. The company quickly grew into a major frozen pizza manufacturer.
The Nov. 9, 1988, issue of the Annandale Advocate said that Bud Garthe, the Annandale resident who is president of Bernatello’s Pizza of Maple Lake, announced last week that he’ll be filling an order for 72,000 frozen pizzas for export to Japan. The order, as far as he knows, marks the first time an American pizza manufacturer will be exporting frozen pizzas to the land of Sony, Toshiba and Nissan."
In 1995 Ramsay bought out Garthe’s share of the company.
Many other endeavors
After leaving Bernatello’s Garthe did not quit pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors, although none lasted very long and none were nearly as successful as Bernatello’s.
Garthe occupied the former Ellis’ Steak House as a cook-your-own steak restaurant. He had a bar and grill in what is now the Hitching Post, a pizza shop in Brainerd and an establishment in Rockford.
"There probably was more that Bud opened over the years," Miller said. "I just can’t remember them all."
In 2007 Garthe received approval to open the Instant Replay Sports Bar and Grill in the shopping center next to Marketplace. The space is now China King. Garthe said it was to be Wright County’s first smoke-free bar and restaurant. Despite getting Annandale City Council approval, the establishment never opened.
Many friends
Garthe’s funeral on Monday, Dec. 7, was attended by 400 to 500 friends and relatives.
"Bud employed a lot of people in our area," Miller said. "Many classmates and former business associates traveled many miles to attend the funeral."
Whether you grew up with him, worked for him or just said hello to him as he sat reading the paper many early mornings at Lu’s Cafe or the Homestyle Cafe, Bud Garthe will long be remembered and admired for his entrepreneurial spirit.
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