On Tuesday, February 4, Senator David Senjem (R-Rochester) will present an official Minnesota Senate resolution to Mantorville resident Don Pappas. The resolution recognizes Mr. Pappas’ decades of work with The Hubbell House in Mantorville. The Hubbell House, was built in 1854, is among the oldest functional restaurants in Minnesota and occupies a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been owned by the Pappas family since 1946.

“I have an official Minnesota Senate resolution honoring Mr. Don Pappas for his work at The Hubbell House – a gem of southeastern Minnesota and a true Minnesota treasure,” said Senator David Senjem, the author of the resolution. “For decades, Don Pappas and his family have made The Hubbell House a stalwart establishment in Mantorville and the surrounding communities.

Don Pappas was born in Owatonna in 1957. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business from Winona State University and worked for a variety of corporate restaurants before returning to Mantorville in 1986 to oversee The Hubbell House, which was managed by his father. Mr. Pappas has been a member of the Minnesota Hospitality and Restaurant Association since 1987 and belongs to the chambers of commerce in Rochester, Byron, Kasson, and Mantorville. Mr. Pappas has been named Kasson Businessperson of the Year and a recipient of the Mantorville Gem Award. 

Senator Senjem will present the official resolution to Mr. Pappas on Tuesday, February 4, at 12:00 p.m. at The Hubbell House (502 N Main St, Mantorville, MN 55955). The presentation is open to the public and the press is invited to attend. The text of the resolution is below.

“The Hubbell House has a storied past. Thanks to Don Pappas and his family, that past will be treasured forever. Frankly, the legacy of Don Pappas and The Hubbell House is something for which we all strive. It’s my privilege to recognize that legacy,” said Senator Senjem.

Senator David Senjem, of Rochester, represents Dodge and Olmsted counties in the Minnesota Senate. He serves as chair of the Senate Capital Investment Committee and is a former majority leader and minority leader.

Resolution text

A Senate resolution recognizing the work of Don Pappas.

WHEREAS, our communities are enhanced by the presence of businesses that have withstood the test of time, and the Hubbell House in Mantorville has been operated by the Pappas family since 1946; and

WHEREAS, Don Pappas was born in Owatonna, Minnesota, on July 29, 1957. The family. doctor picked Don’s mother, Irene, up from the Hubbell House and drove her to the hospital where Don was delivered before driving back to the Hubbell House to personally inform Don’s father, Paul, of the arrival of his fifth son; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Winona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business, Don began his career in the restaurant industry, working for a variety of corporately owned restaurants before returning to Mantorville to oversee the Hubbell House at his father’s request in 1986; and

WHEREAS, Don has been involved in the Minnesota Hospitality and Restaurant Association since 1987 and has served as a board member for many of those years. He is also a member of the Chambers of Commerce of Rochester, Byron, Kasson, and Mantorville; and

WHEREAS, Don has received a number of awards through the years, including Mantorville’s Gem Award and Kasson’s Business Person of the Year award. The Hubbell House donates to multiple organizations and fundraisers within the community, has been named Restaurant of the Year by the Minnesota Hospitality and Restaurant Association, and has received other accolades, including the Beef Backers Award and Most Romantic Restaurant of the Year; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it commends Don Pappas for his work with the Hubbell House and extends its warm wishes for his continued success.