Pattie's Place in Mapleton is a (not so) well-kept secret
Driving by Pattie Krengel's house on the outskirts of Mapleton, Minn., you would have no idea that she has created something of a fairy tale inside.
Imagine if Ms. Claus, or Ms. Krengel in this case, had set up shop and invited people over for dinner. That's what Pattie's Place has become since she started it 14 years ago after her husband became ill with Parkinson's and dementia.
She doesn't advertise, but she does take reservations — and the place is booked a year in advance. "I don't hardly make a dime," Pattie said of her boutique, "I just do it for the pleasure."
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