Northern Bait & Convenience

Eat Here and Get Worms

If you drive through Gonvick, Minnesota on State Highway 92, a sign saying, Eat Here and Get Worms may catch your eye. Welcome to Northern Bait and Convenience, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. The owner and operator, TruDee Torgerson remembered looking at the place frequently when she was working at the Gonvick bank and thinking to herself, “I should buy it.” Then, it sold to someone else and TruDee thought her chance was gone.

As luck would have it, the Realtor called her and said, “This is the third day and they backed out. Do you want it?” TruDee spoke to her brother about getting the purchase money from him until she could get a loan. Her brother agreed, and her husband was supportive too. TruDee explained, “It was just kind of what I was thinking that I'd like to do. A spur of the moment deal, and here we are 20 years later.” TruDee’s husband retired about 5 years ago, and she wants to retire herself, so Northern Bait & Convenience is currently listed for sale. They are planning on having a 20-year appreciation event, but are still working out the details.

We Weren't Scared

When commenting about starting in the bait and convenience store business, she said, “I knew nothing. We just weren’t scared to do anything. By then, I had raised my kids, and I also ran a kennel for 25 years.” TruDee says the secrets to her success are happy employees, hard work and all of her regular customers. She said, “We wouldn't be here without them! I’ve made a lot of friends throughout the years here. People come and go and I know them by sight. We get a lot of people from up north (Warroad), and they are going to Bemidji or Saint Cloud or the cities and they always stop. We have a lot of people say, ‘Oh, we like stopping. Everybody’s so friendly!’ And they like the clean bathrooms.”

TruDee shared the story on how the Eat Here and Get Worms sign come to be. She explained, “We came up with it in the first year because I had driven through Baxter, and on the way out, there was a big sign that said, ‘You just passed gas.’ That stuck in my head. I thought we needed something that made people think, ‘Are you kidding me?’ They'll never forget us, and they haven't. We have a little worm and that's our logo. I've had t-shirts and sweatshirts made up. One worm pumps gas, and another is drinking a can of pop. One is fishing, one is hunting, and one is ice fishing. They are cute!”

No More Minimum Purchase

One of the main things TruDee gives Robin Hood Business Services a lot of credit for is helping her get rid of her required minimum purchase by implementing a cash discount program. She recalled, “We used to have a minimum purchase of at least $10 before they could use their card. We don't have that any more, and people are really happy about that. It cost me a lot of money if someone swiped their card for a can of pop. I was the one paying those fees, and so not having that anymore is a big benefit.”

Northern Bait and Convenience has been with Robin Hood Business Services for about 10 years. TruDee worked with both Scott and Ben before they combined their businesses. She had her cash register from Ben. When Scott came in one day, she was definitely interested in his help because her credit card fees were astronomical. She has been very happy with their service. TruDee elaborated, “We were struggling. We just couldn't get the scanner to work. They brought in a different till, and didn’t quit until it was going. They don't get your business and just forget about you. They just simply take care of you. I have never been disappointed with anything they've done!”

Do you know of someone whose business could benefit from the top-notch customer service Robin Hood Business Service provides? Pass along their information to any of the staff at 218-688-2204 or send an email to rhbizservices@gmail.com. Your referrals are greatly appreciated!

Northern Bait & Convenience

Robin Hood Business Services