College closure leads Mrs. B to warmer climes on Owatonna

OWATONNA — Another business is closing, but it’s not the economy that is leading it to shutter its doors.

Mrs. B’s Bridal is starting to sell out stock and close its doors, not because of its business but because of the closing of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College last year.

Mrs. B, a.k.a. Mary Burggraff, will be moving on to a warmer place next year. After Pillsbury closed on Dec. 31, 2008, Burggraff’s husband, who was a chef for the college, applied for a job in Florida. Burggraff wanted to stay in the area, but he got the job, and a year later, Mrs. B’s Bridal is closing its doors.

“The first thing I said to my husband when the college closed was, ‘We can’t move because I have a business, but you take a job where you can get it,’” Burggraff said.

Mrs. B’s Bridal has been up and running for eight years now. Burggraff bought the business after almost 30 years of being a seamstress. She discovered that what she liked doing most was the wedding gowns and all the frilly stuff that goes with it. The natural transition for her was to start a bridal shop.

Although there were some tough times along the way, learning the ins and outs of the business, she really enjoyed her shop. One of her daughters worked with her for years doing bookkeeping. She has customers from the Twin Cities and all over southern Minnesota. She loves meeting the people and working with the brides. She said she would have never have sold the business and moved if her husband hadn’t gotten his new job.

“I like being out with people, not isolated like seamstress are,” Burggraff said.

Burggraff had hoped to sell the shop, staying in Owatonna for months after her husband started his job in Florida in hopes of a sale. The plan was to find a suitable buyer — one who would take care of her customers — and train him or her in before heading south. There were two people interested, but the money just never came in.

“I was hoping it would continue on. The area needs a bridal shop,” Burggraff said.

The decision was eventually made to close down instead. Mrs. B is sad to see her business end, but happy that her husband got a new job. She knows other people who worked at the college who are still looking for jobs and have their houses up for sale. Moving to a warm, sunny location also doesn’t hurt in easing the transition.

“It’s very bittersweet. I put my life into it, building it up,” Burggraff said.

Burggraff is not entirely giving up on the bridal industry. She plans to work in sales for an online bridal store, and will also be taking some of the dresses she doesn’t sell to Florida to see if there is a market for them in the warmer climates.

Mrs. B’s will be closed for the next two weeks, but will resume normal hours on Jan. 8. and then the selling of the inventory will start. Dresses may be reduced by 40 percent to 80 percent and even the light fixtures must go. Burggraff hopes to have everything closed up by June, which means she’ll stop taking special orders by the end of the month.

Briana Gehring can be reached at 444-2378.

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Member Opinions: By: stormchaser28 on 12/30/09 It will be sad to see your shop leave the area. I had bridal places in Mankato to shop for my wedding dress but I came to your shop and bought my dress in 2006 & all of my bridesmaids bought theirs too from you. Thanks for being a great business for the years you were here. By: jkay on 12/30/09 Owatonna needs a bridal shop. You will be missed. I wish you all the best in Florida.
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