Jun. 25—Yuki Zheng grew up in the restaurant business, with her family operating China Star on Madison Avenue.

When her parents sold the restaurant to relatives and Zheng graduated from Mankato East recently, she partnered with her Chinese-born parents to open 507 Poke Bowl in the space formerly occupied by Pho Anh, next to Dickey's BBQ on Holly Lane.

A poke (pronounced po-kay) is Hawaiian fare that Zheng describes as a deconstructed sushi dish. "It has a rice base, with seafood and then a lot of fresh vegetables on top and sauce."

The protein, including choices of tuna, shrimp, crab meat and eel can be ordered raw or cooked.

Zheng, who is attending the University of Minnesota in computer science, said the restaurant is not part of a franchise. She hopes to add locations in the future.

"It's very hardy with fresh vegetables and cooked or raw proteins."

She said one of the most popular bowls is the dragon bowl, which includes cooked eel and shrimp with avocado, crab meat, edamame, sweet onion, cucumber and sauce. "Some people don't tolerate raw fish so they like that one."

They also serve ramen dishes, sushi burritos and bubble teas.

"Lots of customers have come in and said they're glad they have a poke place here. The closest one is an hour or more away."

Fully Promoted

Mike Holm spent 10 years in the insurance industry and four years as a health administrator before six years as a stay-at-home dad.

"As much as I love hanging out with the kids and watching cartoons, I had to keep busy," he said of starting an online business selling apparel.

"More and more people asked if I could do embroidery and put logos on things and I realized I needed a lot more resources to do it right."

Holm recently opened Fully Promoted at 709 S. Front St. Suite 3 in downtown Mankato. The international franchise is billed as the world's largest branded and promotion business.

"I have access to a million different products. Apparel is about 75% or 80% of the market and the remainder is hard goods — tumblers, can koozies and things like that that people give to employees or hand out at a trade show or parade. I can put a logo on just about anything."

When he says anything, he means anything.

"I had someone ask if I could put a logo on sex toys they were using for a trade show."

He's originally from Omaha and he and his wife have been in Mankato for nine years. His wife, Dr. Emily Holm, works for Mayo as a pharmacist who manages patients' medications.

Holm can produce many apparel items himself and uses vendors to provide the things he can't do such as logos on coffee mugs or tumblers.

"There's a lot of demand. Things have been going pretty well. At this point it's mostly about building awareness and getting my name out there.

Mixed-use building

A corner on the lower stretch of Madison Avenue will get a big makeover.

Nate Host, vice president of construction for APX Construction, said they are working with property owner Habib Sadaka to redevelop the property at the corner of Madison Avenue and Broad Street. There is currently a small block building and two vacant lots on the property.

"There will be potential retail on the ground floor and two floors of apartments above."

Plans for the project, which are working their way through the city approval process, include removing the existing building to construct a 11,600-square-foot mixed use building, with a footprint of nearly 3,900 square feet.

A parking lot will be on the westerly and and northerly sides of the lot. There would be 27 parking spaces, two more than required by the city.

Access would be from the alley and from a relocated access on Broad Street.

The second and third floors show two one-bedroom and two two bedroom apartments on each floor.

The proposed exterior finishes are depicted as a combination of a wood-looking architectural panel, natural Alabama Limestone, insulated metal panels, refinished metal, and glazing systems.

Host said a lot of investors and developers are looking at projects.

"I think there's a lot of people looking at opportunities around town. Wherever an opportunity presents itself we've seen things being done downtown and on Riverfront (Drive)." He said the planned reconstruction of Riverfront, making it more pedestrian friendly, has ramped up interest in development opportunities in the area.

Host said major highway work in the pipeline to improve the Highway 169 corridor coming into North Mankato and Mankato is also giving developers confidence in planning projects along the corridor.

"This area is ripe for significant changes in the next 5 to 10 years," Host said.

APX is wrapping up work on the Truck Center Companies facility on the far east side of Mankato.

The $9 million facility will include sales and service of semis.

APX will also soon start work on the Mr. Car Wash on Madison Avenue.

And they're framing up the Capitol Lofts, a three-story, 57-unit apartment complex in St Peter near Hallet's Pond.