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of Hunn’s life. Oien, who owned a Dairy Queen, hired Hunn to work there during the summer as counter help. At the time, Hunn was working other retail jobs as well. The two became friends, and when Oien branched out and purchased a restaurant on Raymond Avenue in St. Paul in 1973, she turned to Hunn for help. “She bought it for $12,000 and asked me to run it,” said Hunn. Meanwhile, Oien was spending much of her time in the Florida Keys, which sparked the name of the fledgling restaurant. “It was the closest I ever got to the Keys,” quipped Hunn, who would arrive at the restaurant by 5 a.m. and work the long hours needed to get the business off the ground. When Oien decided to move to Florida permanently in 1975, Hunn agreed to buy the restaurant. She had no business plan, just a deep commitment to offering great food—made from scratch—and friendly service. In 1982, she expand-
ed to New Brighton and every few years added another location. The properties just seemed to fall in her lap. “Mostly, other restaurants would contact me and see if I wanted to buy theirs,” said Hunn, who had developed a strong reputation as a successful restaurateur. “I’d ask one of my kids if they wanted to run it and if they said ‘yes,’ I’d buy it.” Daughter Carol owns the downtown St. Paul café on Robert Street and the one in downtown Minneapolis. The other cafés are in the suburbs. The newest one opened in 2008 in Hudson, Wis., and is run by son Roy. The original Keys Café on Raymond Avenue is still going strong. Hunn’s husband was supportive of his wife’s endeavor but was never involved in the business itself. He was a lithographer by trade and passed away in 1982 at age 51. Barbara, now remarried, has 18 grandchildren—13 of whom work in the restaurants—and 8 great-
grandchildren. Together, the restaurants employ around 500. Barbara’s business acumen led to her 2018 induction into the Minnesota Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. The honor speaks to her innate talent for hospitality. “It was natural,” she said. “I didn’t think about it, I just did it. I loved the interaction with my customers.” Treating all customers with respect and dignity were hallmarks of her career and have rubbed off on her children, each of whom is known for helping those in need. On the day of our interview, a slightly disheveled man was sitting in a corner of the café, head down. After finishing his meal, he rose and walked past us. Carol warmly smiled at him and greeted him by name. He barely acknowledged her. Instead, he paced around and then walked over to view colorful tiles on a nearby wall. Eventually, he left. “That’s T—,” she said, identifying the man who is homeless and lives with mental illness. She went on to humbly say that she of-
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ten gives him a meal and has even allowed him to sleep in a back room. And, he’s not the only one she helps. “They don’t need much,” she said of the homeless people who find their way into her café. “I give them soup—and compassion.” Suddenly, she paused and became teary-eyed. “That’s what I learned from her—compassion,” she said, pointing to her mother. “All my kids have that,” said Barbara, who went on to list examples of her other children who offer similar acts of kindness to their patrons. “That’s what makes us stand out as a family restaurant,” said Carol. “Ever had a problem?” I asked, referring to their efforts to help. “Never,” Carol replied, emphatically. When asked what inspires this compassion, Barbara revealed her spiritual side. “I truly believe in God. He’s guided me,” she said. “I enjoy taking care of people. You learn something from all these people. What you get is far more than what you give.” The family’s commitment
to the less fortunate is also seen through the Keys golf tournament, first held in 2002. To date it has raised more than a half million dollars for individuals in need and local charities. Canceled last year and this year due to the pandemic, the most recent tourney raised funds for a 9-year-old girl with two potentially life-threatening disorders affecting the kidneys, liver and nervous system. Keys is also a longtime participant in the Union Gospel Mission-Twin Cities annual Soup for the Homeless Soul fundraiser by offering free soup. Nearly 50 years in the restaurant industry has not been without its challenges. Barbara said the most difficult one has always been finding people to give the level of customer service she requires. But she and Carol quickly praised their staff, many of whom have been with their company for ages. Carol said one employee has worked at the downtown café for 31 years. Typically, she employs about 30, although that number is lower now during the pandemic. Mother and daughter agree that their success stems
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partly from a willingness to drop all pretensions, roll up their sleeves and do whatever is needed. “We have no job titles,” said Carol. “We are all crosstrained.” That commitment has seen Barbara and her children through a wide array of economic challenges, including soaring inflation rates in the 1970s, the Great Recession of 2008, and now a global pandemic that has been especially hard on the restaurant industry. Yet they always seem to come out on top. As for the future, neither was certain if the next generation wants the headaches that come with ownership. “This is hard work and mentally draining,” confessed Carol, who at 62 is starting to think about retirement. Three of her five children work at the restaurant, so the opportunity is there. Two were working the day of our interview and, after clocking out, stopped by to hug their mom and grandma before leaving. The warm exchange revealed the deep love within the family. After posing for a photo in front of a painting of the Smith Avenue High Bridge that Carol commissioned for the restaurant—a symbolic link to the family’s roots on the West Side and their business success across the river—the rigors of running a restaurant quickly returned. The phone was ringing, take-out orders were piling up and a waitress informed Carol and Barbara that there was a problem with the dishwasher behind the bar. As I left, all three were stooped over the machine, looking for a solution. It’s all in a day’s work.