There’s another “Spot” in town

A gathering “spot.”
It’s what Jesse and Jamie Gaspar, new owners of the Flandreau Bistro & Roasterie – now called JJ’s Coffee Spot – hope to see happen at their new adventure.
The Gaspars finalized the purchase of the eatery on Flandreau’s Wind Street recently and were to open the doors for business on Tuesday. They purchased the business from the original owners, Jessica Hovland and her husband, Hovakah Bosin. They owned the business for two years.
“We really want this to be a gathering place,” said Jamie Gaspar. She feels it’s needed in the Flandreau and the surrounding communities.
They hope to encourage people to not just drive up and get a coffee to go, but to come in, sit and relax with a cup of coffee or one of the many other beverages they will serve, have a bite to eat and conversations with others. They’ll keep the sofa, chairs surrounding the fireplace.
The Gaspars, who purchased The Spot Drive-In in February of 2019, decided to take on another business so Jamie had work in the winter. Jamie has managed and worked at the popular seasonal drive in on East Second Avenue during the spring, summer and early fall.
When she learned the bistro was for sale, she knew it meant she wouldn’t have to look for a job in the winter.
“When I heard the bistro was for sale,” she said, “I thought, ‘OK, now I don’t have to find other work in the winter.’”

She’s a people person and will strive for both businesses to be successful.
“I love to be with the customers and people,” she said including her staff.
“It’s also a good time for us to do this, since our children are older now,” she said. “In fact our daughter Jaelynn will work for us after school.”
In order to make both businesses successful, Jesse recently resigned as a heavy equipment operator for Moody County Highway after 14 years to work alongside his wife.
“This will be a change for me,” he said, meaning he’ll be working more with people instead of driving heavy equipment.
They will “pretty much keep the same menu as the bistro used,” meaning there will be soups, sandwiches, but hopefully a few more meal items will be added.
“I’d like to bring in baking, especially my cupcakes, and would like to have more of those types of items in the future,” said Jamie.
When asked about the possibility of moving The Spot Drive-In uptown, they said it was not out of the question.
“We’re not ruling it out, but for now we’ll both work here and Jamie will move to The Spot in the spring,” Jesse said.
Hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. They could change depending on staff availability, they said.
They also have a party room and hours could change to reflect its usage. They already have it booked for this Saturday evening.
In a Facebook post last week, Hovland and Bosin, who opened the Flandreau Bistro & Roasterie  two years ago, thanked the community for their support during their time there, which, largely has been during the Covid-19 pandemic. They stated they looked forward to more time with their family, especially as their children reach an age where they are increasingly busy with athletics and other activities.
The Gaspars will be using Kool Beans from Brookings and likely will add more flavors to please many.
So stop in and enjoy a cup of coffee and a little something to eat.
There’s a “spot” waiting for you.