ABOVE: The Lake Belt Bar and Grill in Ceylon has operated under new ownership since Wednesday, Oct. 8.

CEYLON — The Lake Belt Bar and Grill in Ceylon has begun a new chapter. Former owners, husband and wife duo Wyatt and Jordan Burmeister, have officially passed the torch to new owners, Jake De St Hubert and Dale Creed “Creed” Francis, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, three years after the Burmeisters took the reins of the Ceylon establishment.

“I’m anxious about the change in my personal and work life, but I’m excited to step back and be able to focus on the farm and other things that we want to do that are farm-related, and pursue the next thing. I’m also excited for the new owners and to experience something new,” said Jordan Burmeister.

Burmeister has worked in restaurants, bartending and customer service, since she was 16 years old, and will hold the experiences at the Lake Belt Bar and Grill dear.

“I feel like I got a chance to learn, and I really expanded my management knowledge. Doing the events, I’ve had a really good time doing all of it, and meeting all the people and the employees have been great. It’s been really nice to be able to provide something for them, too.”

As for pursuing something more in those fields, possibilities are in the air. In the meantime, she has decided to and is content to devote her time to her family and the family farm located near Ceylon.

“The Lake Belt Bar and Grill is one of the last things in town, and we’re really in a good spot between all of these cities. We became a hub,” Burmeister said. “I really had a chance to meet a lot of people.”

De St Hubert and Francis are three-year business partners from New Prague and are eager to provide Ceylon and greater Martin County with opportunities by operating the business.

“Someone told us about a great bar called the Lake Belt Bar and Grill in Ceylon, and we decided to buy it,” De St Hubert said. “We want to give back to the community and also have some fun.”

The Lake Belt Bar and Grill’s name will stay the same. De St Hubert explained that the name is important, as it nods to Martin County culture and the real-life Lake Belt area. In conjunction with Burmeister and branding manager Sara Jutz, the business hopes to roll out new events and more events, including more pull tabs, dart boards, sports simulators and arcade attractions, winter events and motorcycle/snowmobile/tractor nights.

“We’re both really excited. We both grew up in small towns, we love the small town atmosphere, and we’re excited to give back to the community. We want the community to come out and join the fun, and also feel really part of it,” De St Hubert commented. “We want to make it as great as possible. We really love what Jordan and Wyatt Burmiester did with the Lake Belt Bar and Grill. We want to make it what they envisioned it to be.”

As the establishment transitions to new hands, the Burmeisters and the new owners recognize Lake Belt Bar and Grill’s standing significance to the small town of Ceylon. Jordan Burmeister encourages people to continue supporting the business as it gradually rolls out opportunities under the new owners’ leadership. She reassures the community that, despite the new era, she won’t steer away from the community and will support the business’s endeavors as well.

“I want to be here to support the Lake Belt Bar and Grill. I want to see it continue to thrive. I think every community needs a spot, and I want to make sure that this can still be the spot,” Burmiester stated.

The Lake Belt Bar and Grill will continue its hours of 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. Additional information about the restaurant’s hours, menus, offerings and activities can be found at the official Facebook page, or by contacting Lake Belt Bar and Grill at (507) 632-4696.