BIZ BUZZ

A new restaurant is opening on South Sixth Street in Brainerd.

The 6th St. Cafe & Catering business opens this Sunday. Owner Kerrie Harms said the restaurant will feature home-style cooking in a buffet setting. On Sunday, Harms is having brunch buffet with egg bake, sausage, baked chicken, lasagna, assorted breads and soup and salad bar.

The daily buffets will have three entrees to choose from such as baked ham, pork roast or beef roast and then options of potatoes, vegetables, soup, dinner rolls and a salad bar. In addition to the buffet, the cafe has a cooler with sandwiches and salads to go.

"I just want to provide something quick for people in a hurry," Harms said. "Or you can come in and sit down."

South Sixth Street has been hard on restaurants with multiple closures and changing owners. The 6th St. Cafe & Catering is opening in space formerly and briefly occupied last year by Turrito's Fiesta, a Mexican food restaurant.

Harms said with the traffic in the area, food options are needed on Brainerd's south side. She believes the wider home-style cooking variety will give her greater appeal than an ethnic eatery.

Harms, who has lived in Brainerd about 14 years, operated Country Catering setting up buffet events for groups up to 350 people. Harms said she needed a store front for the catering business and saw an opportunity to operate her own restaurant as well.

The cafe has a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then is open during the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The iLevel TimberStrand plant in Deerwood will continue its slowdown and is eliminating 13 jobs, Weyerhaeuser recently announced. Last fall, Weyerhaeuser reduced the 24-hour operations from seven to five days. Nancy Thompson, Weyerhaeuser Co. spokeswoman based in Raleigh, N.C., said the abbreviated operating schedule, running since October, will continue.

"Demand for engineered wood products has declined due to a slowdown in the housing market," the company reported in a news release. "As a result of these challenging market conditions, the Deerwood plant will continue to take intermittent downtime during the first quarter of 2007. In addition, the plant will permanently eliminate 13 positions. The company will then continue to adjust production to meet demand as necessary from time to time for the remainder of the year. Associates affected by permanent job elimination will receive full pay for 60 days followed by severance benefits."

Weyerhaeuser said the company will take downtime in the first quarter at its three iLevel TimberStrand facilities in North America to balance production with demand and will take further downtime as necessary.

Roger Zieman CPA & Associate, an income tax/accounting business relocated to Brainerd from Elk River. Owners Roger and Carol Zieman opened their year-round business in December at 17025 Commercial Park Road Suite 4, which is just off the Barbeau Road north of Brainerd.

Roger Zieman is a certified public accountant. The Ziemans have more than 20 years of accounting/income tax experience. Roger Zieman is a member of the Minnesota Society of CPAs and is licensed through Minnesota State Board of Accountancy.

Carol Zieman said the business provides personal and business income tax preparation, ongoing tax planning, Quickbooks software setup and installation and computer training in a variety of accounting software packages, and notary public services.

Zieman said they came to the area on their wedding trip and it felt so much like home they decided to move here.

It Figures in Baxter was recently purchased by Laura Beilke. The fitness center is in its fifth year this month. Beilke is adding exercise and diet seminars this month to coincide with the center's anniversary. She added elliptical equipment and is offering core and cardio workout classes. And she added tanning services.

Beilke said she was a member of It Figures before and now with children growing up, she had more time available. After the recent United Way's Biggest Loser campaign, Beilke said she saw a need for a smaller setting that would appeal to people who are not ready to work out at the bigger gyms.

"I just thought it was a great place to start for them," Beilke said.

Cost Cutters is leaving the Westgate Mall and moving but not too far. Cost Cutters is moving into the Westport Mall in Baxter where Ronda Jean's Bridal used to be. Lori Carlson, general manager, said the salon may open in the Westport in early May. Cost Cutters plans to leave a couple of stylists at the Westgate Mall until the lease is up at the end of June. After 20 years in the Westgate Mall, Carlson said the new site will provide a fresh start and allow greater visibility for the salon with exterior signs visible from Highway 210.

Bauerly Brothers is operating under a new name of Knife River. The Knife River Corp. announced its subsidiaries - Bauerly Brothers Inc., Buffalo Bituminous Inc. and Granite City Ready-Mix Companies - have consolidated.

Honey Tree Childcare Center opened on Rosewood Street in Pequot Lakes. Heather Neumann, center owner and director, has a bachelor's degree in elementary education and has previous work experience as a child-care center teacher and substitute teacher. The center is licensed for 42 children. Neumann is helping classroom teachers develop a curriculum, which includes beginning sign language and Spanish.

RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.