Ethan Becker
The Free Press
Ellie Rosier may only be 11 years old (though she’s quick to mention she’s almost 12), but she’s already left a lasting mark on the Mankato community. It all started last year with an English assignment at Grace Christian School.
“We had to do an assignment in our English class, and we had to write a business letter, and I just came up with the idea for a PlayPlace in Mankato, and I thought it would be a good idea,” Rosier said.
She sent that letter to Colleen VanBlarcom, the owner-operator at McDonald’s at 1921 Adams Street, and VanBlarcom agreed.
“My children are all older, but Joe (Chow), my COO, he’s got little kids and so that was one of the things that he felt was a good idea,” VanBlarcom said. “So it was really the combination of her letter and Joe that kind of sealed the deal. And the rest is history.”
The grand opening of the PlayPlace, which took place Tuesday, wasn’t just a special moment for Ellie or Mankato. It also marked a sort of nod to the past of McDonald’s history. Kathy Findley, the Director of Community Relations for BamCo Mankato, notes that not many McDonald’s get PlayPlaces nowadays. But she says it was a clear desire from Rosier to see one, as well as a conveniently timed remodel, that saw this come to fruition.
“She wrote this letter and then all of a sudden we were talking and (saying), ‘We have to do remodels in the stores,’ and one of the talking points was Mankato, it’s such a growing community and family-oriented; wouldn’t it be great … if we thought about putting a PlayPlace on.”
At the grand opening, Ellie — someone who by her own admission doesn’t always get the spotlight — was the guest of honor.
“It’s been really amazing,” Rosier said. “I’m not really used to this sort of attention.”
That spotlight included being able to cut the ribbon and, of course, getting the honorary first go down the PlayPlace slide.
Ellie’s mother, Becky, said that seeing all of this happen because of a letter her daughter wrote means the world, especially considering she would often take her kids to the PlayPlace in St. Peter, where they live.
“It’s definitely a lot of fun and exciting to get to have your kid be involved with something so big in the community. … The fact that (McDonald’s was) willing to pull her into a project this big says a lot about how they feel about this community,” Becky said. “There’s not a lot of places in this area that have the indoor ability to just let kids run where you feel like they’re safe, they’re not going anywhere.”
The new renovations also marked an exciting moment in the life of General Manager Bradley Balko, a college student who just started running the store four months ago.
“It’s almost a dream come true … getting the opportunity from Colleen to take it and almost make it my own and run with to elevate to the next level. It almost felt surreal at first.”
For now, Ellie says she’ll probably stick to using the PlayPlace near her home in St. Peter. But that may all change when another school year starts.
“Maybe when school starts up again, I can get some of my friends from school to come here and we can hang out here every so often after school,” Ellie said. “That’d be cool.”