NORTH MANKATO — Circle Inn Owner Jeni Bobholz took to social media to clarify a few things Thursday.
“I’ve heard all the rumors — that we are selling, that we’re closing, that I’m looking for business partners — none of that is true,” Bobholz said in a video on the Circle Inn’s Facebook page.
The rumors started circulating after news broke that the Circle Inn would need to close at midnight Jan. 1 and would be closed for at least the first week of 2026.
The announcement, coming in a nearly 9-minute-long video posted to Facebook, prompted almost 100 comments and hundreds of reactions. Many commenters, patrons of the long-established North Mankato bar, expressing their sympathies.
“I love how you wear your heart on your sleeve. Running a business and being a single mom is no joke. You are doing better than you think,” Stephanie Fischer said.
“Class act! Support you 100%. Thanks for your transparency Jeni!” wrote Will Dallenbach.
“We’ll be there when you guys open back up,” said Brenda Post.
In the video, Bobholz explained the real reason for the closure: Due to “needing to get caught up on some things,” Bobholz and the Circle Inn missed their deadline to apply for a 2026 liquor license. It’s the latest struggle in a string of misfortunes that Bobholz said has sent her into “survival mode.”
“This year has kicked my a–, if I’m being honest with you. There’s been a lot of factors to it,” she said. “I have gone through more things financially over the last two years … We had over $50,000 worth of repairs in this establishment this year. Things have changed, everything’s getting more expensive, everything’s just getting … insane.”
Bobholz expressed some disappointments in the video, namely that she wouldn’t be able to pay any of her staff during the time they’re closed, but made sure to note that none of this was the city’s fault and she hopes to be on the agenda for the council’s Jan. 5 meeting to get the Belgrade Avenue bar’s license back.
“The city (of North Mankato) is in no way trying to get after me or any of these things. They are trying to follow their protocol and we have to follow along with it as well,” she said.
With luck, Bobholz hopes the Circle Inn can be open by Friday, Jan. 9. Even then, though, she notes there may be changes when they do open up their doors.
“(We’re) just really having to scale back and look at things. … Belgrade’s getting torn up this summer, so we might not have as much live music this year.”
At the end of the day, Bobholz said she’s thankful for her patrons and hopes she can greet them all once they open back up, whenever that may be.
“Those that support, I love and appreciate you.”