fbpx
Friday, November 8, 2024
HomeCommunityMeet Jerry Kohl at the Register in Mike’s Holiday - Grand Marais

Meet Jerry Kohl at the Register in Mike’s Holiday – Grand Marais

The front-of-house (FOH) re­tail staff are more than just em­ployees; they are the heartbeat of a store’s success. They are the store’s ambassadors and the first point of contact for cus­tomers, and they play a pivot­al role in shaping a customer’s perception and experience.

The Northshore Journal is thrilled to introduce you to Jer­ry Kohl, the charismatic face at the checkout register at Mike’s Holiday in Grand Marais. This series aims to bring you closer to the vibrant personalities who make local businesses thrive.

Jerry was born way back in 1950 and raised in Minneapo­lis. He attended St. John’s Prep, class of 1968, and earned a BA in philosophy at St. Thomas University, class of 1973.

Jerry went on to study phi­losophy at the Masters level at Notre Dame University. Jer­ry is a fan of all sports and is “a huge Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan.”

To this day, you’ll see him wearing Fighting Irish garb on game days. He said, “When I was there in 1973, the football team went undefeated and un­tied and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve for The National Champion­ship.”

Jerry has 61 caps branded with his favorite teams from various sports, professional and otherwise. Some are lim­ited editions, almost one-of-a-kind. Seeing which hat he’s wearing on a given day will tell you which of his favorites are playing.

Jerry acquired his Cook County home in 1999. A regu­lar weekend visitor, he decided to move here full-time in 2007 after a 30-year career in finan­cial services and a stressful di­vorce—northshore retirement.

In early 2008, Jerry was look­ing for a part-time job to sup­plement his retirement income when he mentioned his search to Marcie Quaife, the manag­er at Mike’s Holiday in Grand Marais. She hired him on the spot.

“In 30 years of working in financial services, I’d never touched a cash register,” Jerry said. “It took me a long time to learn how to work the damn thing.”

In addition to work­ing the cash register, he learned how to sell DNR licenses, bag up minnows, and stock cigarettes. More im­portantly, he got to know the regular cus­tomers and greeted new ones.

Jerry tried to retire full-time at the end of 2011. Six years ago, though, he returned to work the morning shifts at Holiday.

Coming back was a good move for Holiday and Jerry. “I absolutely love working at Holi­day,” Jerry said. “It’s the best job I could have in town.”

His philosophy education led to a favored quote he shares on his Facebook page. It is at­tributed to Horace Walpole, an 18th-century English writer, art historian, man of letters, and politician. “This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel…” and then he added, “a possibili­ty to those that do–Jerry Kohl.”

Jerry sees the world as a pos­sibility for doing things. He’s done a bunch over the years.

His two sons are his pride and joy. Elliot, 39, works for Jerry’s former employer, Wells Fargo, and Colin, 37, is an accom­plished chef in Minneapolis.

Before retiring, Jerry spent three decades in the financial services industry, the last two years as an internal audit de­partment leader at Wells Fargo.

His “doing” isn’t limited to procreation and the financial services industry. He played amateur hockey and ran mara­thons.

“I ran fifteen marathons be­tween 1993 and 2005,” Jerry said. In 1996, the 100th run­ning of Boston, Jerry recounts a highlight. Wearing a t-shirt proclaiming his Notre Dame allegiance, he was hitting the wall on Heartbreak Hill.

Reaching the top of the hill, Jerry realized it was the site of Boston College. “Boos came raining down on me from the crowd,” he said. “When I pumped my fist in the air as I ran by, the boos got even loud­er, and the rush of adrenaline kept me going,” He added. “I love Boston.”

The Minnesota Whitecaps were a professional wom­en’s hockey team in the Pre­mier Hockey Federation. They played in Richfield, MN, and folded last year. Jerry has re­cently been seen wearing a cap produced in limited editions featuring the Whitecaps logo.

“I’m wearing this to honor the PWHLMinnesota team, which just won the first-ever Walter Cup,” he said. He’s already ordered the PWHLMinnesota championship hat to raise his inventory of lids to 62.

Jerry’s impact extends be­yond the walls of Mike’s Hol­iday. He’s a dedicated support­er of Cook County athletics, attending all the games he can and cheering on the players. His warm greetings and uplifting messages when they visit the store have made him a beloved figure in the community, often earning invitations to gradua­tion and birthday parties.

Jerry is a regular usher at St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais. He plays golf as often as he can and is helping organize the Flintrock Range Association to build a shooting range nearby that will include Skeet, archery, and rifle/pistol ranges.

Please help us put a spotlight on the people who make our Northshore businesses thrive. Send your suggestions to north­shorejournal@gmail.com or call (218) 226-3335.

Steve Fernlund
Steve Fernlund
Typically these “about me” pages include a list of academic achievements (I have none) and positions held (I have had many, but who really cares about those?) So, in the words of the late Admiral James Stockwell, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I’m well into my seventh decade on this blue planet we call home. I’m a pretty successful husband, father, and grandfather, at least in my humble opinion. My progeny may disagree. We have four children and five grandchildren. I spent most of my professional life in the freight business. At the tender age of 40, early retirement beckoned and we moved to Grand Marais. A year after we got here, we bought and operated the Cook County News Herald, a weekly newspaper in Grand Marais. A sharp learning curve for a dumb freight broker to become a newspaper editor and publisher. By 1999 the News Herald was an acquisition target for a rapidly consolidating media market. We sold our businesses and “retired” again, buying a winter retreat in Nevada. In the fall of 2016, we returned to Grand Marais and bought a house from old friends of ours on the ridge overlooking Lake Superior. They were able to move closer to family and their Mexico winter home. And we came home to what we say is our last house. I’m a strong believer in the value of local newspapers--both online and those you can wrap a fish in. I write a weekly column and a couple of feature stories for the Northshore Journal. I’m most interested in writing about the everyday lives of local people and reporting on issues of importance to them.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Advertisment -

Most Popular