Historic Hubbell House temporary closed for renovations

MANTORVILLE, Minn. (KTTC) – The Hubbell House in Mantorville is closed for the next three months for kitchen and bar renovations.

On January 1, the Pappas family, who ran the restaurant for more than 75 years, officially sold the Hubbell House to Power Ventures of Rochester. The sale was supposed to happen in February of 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.

“Something that’s been in your family this long, but I also say there comes a time and the time has come,” previous owner Donald Pappas said.

“I’ve always highly respected the Pappas family, and when I heard this was for sale, it was right up my alley,” new owner Joe Powers said.

The Hubbell House has been open for more than 130 years. It originally opened in 1884 as a hotel, but still remains today as a well-known steakhouse in the region.

Barbara Baasch Thomas, who lived in Mantorville for 20 years, says Hubbell House is “the heart and soul” of the town.

“I had my confirmation dinner there, celebrated my high school graduation there, celebrated college graduation,” Baasch Thomas said.

The restaurant will be closed until April 1, but as for the rest of the restaurant, Powers says customers may not even notice a difference.

“We’re not touching anything. We’re leaving everything on the walls the way it was. That’s part of the historic aspect of it and I think it’s critical that we protect,” he said.

The Hubbell House is a place full of history, from a visit from former president Ulysses S. Grant and other leaders, a dinner for the Minnesota Vikings players, to regular nights out with family and friends, the Hubbell House remains a staple of the Mantorville community and the rest of the area.

“We hope that it will continue to be a place where we can go for family celebrations. Hope the food continues to be the same great food and the same great value. We’re hopeful. So we’ll definitely be going back to give it a try,” Baasch Thomas said.

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