Rod Hegna, from left, Kevin Linbo and Weston Koski have brought the Village Pub to downtown Hayfield. Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
It takes a village Hayfield’s The Village Pub Lounge takes advantage of some perfect timing
By Rocky Hulne If the timing is right, the rest will come easy. A trio of Hayfield men recently made the right move at the right time and their move has brought a little bit of nightlife and a great place to eat in their hometown. Rod Hegna and Kevin Linbo opened The Village Pub Lounge in the spring of 2021 and the restaurant and bar has turned into a smashing success with the help of bar manager Weston Koski, who worked at the Flying Monkey, which used to exist in the Village Pub Lounge’s location. The Flying Monkey closed in 2018, and another investor had been renovating the space during the pandemic before they ran out of money. When that investor ran out of funds, the site went up at auction and Hegna and Linbo took advantage of the opportunity and purchased the freshly remodeled location. “It’s kind of turned into a restaurant,” Hegna said. “The food here 84 | Austin Daily Herald | Progress 2022
“There have been a lot of people around the community, Blooming, Kasson and Rochester coming in here” Weston Koski The Village Pub Manager
has taken off tremendously and it’s more than I ever thought. At about 8 p.m., it starts becoming a bar.” Hegna owned a bar in Waltham for 14 years and Limbo has owned a bar before, so they have plenty of experience in the business. They both cook on a regular basis, along with Koski, and the restaurant’s burger selection has been an instant hit in a town that was in great need of a place to grab a drink and a meal. “(Hayfield) was praying for a place like this to come here,” Hegna said. “The bowling alley is here, but if you want to have a few drinks, you don’t want kids around. The Legion is only open a couple of nights a week and this worked out really good for us.” The Village Pub Lounge also offers pool, dart leagues and has a cribbage tournament every Saturday. The establishment hires a DJ about once a month. Koski said that the Village Pub Lounge has quickly become one of the primary places to go in Hayfield. He was excited about the opportunity
