Let’s Eat

By Dana Melius

Nestle and Al Sengul have owned and operated the Nicollet Cafe in St. Peter since late 2016.

The Nicollet Cafe

Family atmosphere drives St. Peter breakfast spot

Nestle Sengul tried to talk her husband, Al, out of buying a Minnesota restaurant.

“Nebraska, that’s where I thought we should go,” she laughed. “I thought Minnesota would be too cold.”

Instead, the Senguls zeroed in on a small 85-seat restaurant in St. Peter. And now after nearly six years at the Nicollet Cafe, Nestle has truly warmed up to the community she calls home.

“I love it here,” Nestle said of the cafe which has become a favorite breakfast spot for many. “I’m so happy. My kids, they love it in Minnesota.”

But it’s much more than being a thriving, smalltown business, according to the Senguls and their loyal customers. Nestle tells of the time their son needed open heart surgery in Rochester and the Senguls were surprised by food brought to them at the hospital by cafe regulars.

“It still gives me goosebumps,” she said. “It’s like they’re part of our family business..”

One of those regulars, retired St. Peter banker Paul Dumdei, couldn’t agree more. He and wife Christa, frequent the Nicollet Cafe nearly every day. They’ve seen the cafe grow its base and see first hand the family-type atmosphere the Senguls have created with customers and staff.

Cafe server Jamie Hawbaker has been on staff for 5 ½ years and enjoys that family atmosphere as she waits on the Dumdei booth, while Christa Dumdei says “it’s the people” that make it special. And Paul’s more than happy to note how close they’ve become with the Senguls and staff.

“If I don’t know what it is I want to eat, Jamie or Nestle tells me,” Paul joked.

Hawkbaker is one of just 11 full and part-time staff members at the Nicollet Cafe. Nestle says staffing is almost always a difficult issue for the restaurant industry but notes she’s currently

got a dedicated crew. Still, the Senguls have at times needed to limit cafe hours.

Currently, the Nicollet Cafe is open Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Supply side issues also can continue to be a problem from time to time, Nestle added, ranging from “creamer to oatmeal and sometimes even ketchup.”

The Nicollet Cafe’s menu is dotted with traditional breakfast and American food choices even though the Senguls immigrated from Turkey, where the couple was married. Al has been in the U.S. restaurant industry since 1994, bouncing from the East Coast to Houston and Chicago, as well as brief stops in Iowa and, finally, Minnesota.

“I was looking for a restaurant in a small town,” Al said.

That’s when he came across this venue, located at 402 South Third Street in St. Peter. With a daughter attending Iowa State University, it would bring the couple closer to her.

The cafe building had been closed for about a year and now was in need of attention, having served as the former location of El Agave. The popular St. Peterbased Mexican restaurant had outgrown its space and moved to its current location at Hwy. 169 on the city’s north side.

“It seemed perfect,” Al said, both the cafe size and St. Peter community.

But he still had to convince Nestle, who was nervous that a nearby building space, the former Lone Star BBQ, had also been purchased and scheduled to reopen as the 3rd Street Tavern. She was worried about the competition.

Instead, the 3rd Street management and staff and Nicollet Cafe have carved a strong, neighborly relationship, according to Nestle.

“We don’t really compete,” she said. “And their staff come over here a lot to eat.”

While the Senguls are Turkish, they’ve stuck with an American, homestyle menu. A try just one time at lentil soup, according to Nestle, convinced them they’re customers weren’t looking for change.

“I have one customer who orders the same thing every day,” Nestle said. “I’m like that. I kinda like to eat waffles every day.”

Asked what might be the Senguls’ secret for the Nicollet Cafe’s success as such a popular breakfast and lunch stop, Nestle said, “Maybe family.”

“We’re not a franchise,” she added. “This is like they’re doing a meal with family.”

Cafe server Jamie Hawbaker waits on Paul Dumdei, a Nicollet Cafe regular.

The Nicollet Cafe has become a popular local breakfast stop.

The Nicollet Cafe

Where: 402 Third Street South, St. Peter When: M-TH 6 a.m.-3 p.m. F-Sat 6 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun 7 a.m.-3 p.m. What they’re known for: Breakfast, homestyle cooking