The State Fair's last two church dining halls find ways to survive and thrive

Before the Minnesota State Fair became a gastro-Bacchanalia drawing hundreds of thousands to its ever-increasing array of deep-fried, fusion food items, the church dining hall was king.

Seen as more wholesome than hot dog stands, more satisfyingly filling than All You Can Drink milk, dining halls were both a great way for Minnesota churches to raise money for everything from a new steeple to mission trips abroad, as well as a welcome source of healthy home cooking for rural families far from home. In 1903, according to "Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictorial History of the Minnesota State Fair," there were 89 such dining rooms at the Fair. Even as recently as 1951, there were 32. In 1973, nine.

And now? Two remain: The 127-year-old Hamline Church Dining Hall and the smaller, younger Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church Dining Hall, a 129-year-old North Minneapolis church celebrating its 75th anniversary at the fair.

But lest you think the last of the dining halls are heading inexorably toward oblivion, the folks still serving sit-down meals at long tables, complete with pots of coffee, insist they're finding new ways to remain relevant. It's not enough to be buoyed by old-timers' nostalgia. Just ask Salem's pastor, Eric Hoffer.

"I love the dining hall because it's an extension of our hospitality," Hoffer said, agreeing that it's important to embrace tradition and highlight history. "But I also encourage Hamline and Salem to adapt as we need to."

This could include getting something on the coveted list of new foods at the Fair. Fairgoers carry lists with them as they wander the grounds. This year, Salem scored a spot by offering a new item to its longtime roster of Swedish meatballs and Swedish egg coffee. Salem's Swedish ice cream sundae boasts vanilla ice cream topped with lingonberry sauce and a Swedish ginger cookie crumble.

"It's so good," he said.

Mary Bloom, co-chair of the Hamline Church Dining Hall committee, agrees with Hoffer.

"We have found the key to getting new business every year is to get on the new foods list," Bloom said.

Last year, what got folks lined up out the door and around the corner was the magical marriage of a slice of the dining hall's famous ham loaf with the convenience of an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. "The Holey Hamloaf Sandwich" was born.

"We had the best year ever," Bloom said.

A relatively new partnership with Al's Breakfast, the tiny cafe in Dinkytown at the University of Minnesota famous for its pancakes, also has boosted crowds, Bloom said.

"You can't just keep going with the ham loaf," she said.

This year? Cranberry wild rice meatball sliders.

Jane McClure, a community journalist, has volunteered at the Hamline Dining Hall for more than 20 years. For the past several years, she's been its morning greeter. "I tell people where to go ... in a kind, Methodist way," she said.

McClure, who serves as the church historian, has researched the heyday of church dining halls, as well as the declining numbers. Although more than a few churches were built and improved using dining hall proceeds over the years, McClure said many congregations today would think twice about starting a dining hall. New food items might draw customers, she said, but getting folks to volunteer as cooks, servers and coffee-pourers is tougher. Yet, volunteering is critical to making it all go.

"Sometimes, love isn't enough to keep something going," McClure said. "I think you see fewer dining halls now for a lot of reasons. Number one, it's hard to get volunteers, and it's a lot of work."

But that, too, is cause for optimism among the fair's last dining halls. Officials at both churches say that although volunteers are hard to come by, publicity and popular food items have helped pull some new folks into the fold.

At Salem, Hoffer said, about 150 people volunteer for the dining hall each year. Those numbers include neighbors, nonmembers and members of partner churches, he said. About a third are young people, ranging from middle school students to college. A chance to earn tips helps, the pastor said.

A 15-passenger, volunteer-laden van leaves the church's Weber-Camden parking lot before dawn every morning.

"I love that this draws young people," Hoffer said.

Bloom, too, has seen new volunteers as the Hamline Church community grows.

"They hear how fun it is to work at the fairgrounds. It's a great, low-key way of getting to know people," she said. "So, yes, I'm optimistic. But we also get people who come in to eat asking if they can volunteer."

Asked if she's optimistic for the future, Bloom chuckled.

"Optimistic? There are days," she said. "As long as we can come up with new ideas, it keeps us going."