WAYZATA, Minn. - When Terri Huml saw her favorite restaurant start to decline, she couldn't just sit by and watch. That's just not in her nature.
"It was heartbreaking," Huml said. "I heard a rumor that they were going to close."
"They" being Gianni's in Wayzata, and Huml decided to make a proposition.
"I contacted the owner and said 'I hear you're going to close,'" she explained. "'Before you close, why don't you hire me to be your GM. Give me six months and if I think I can turn it around I'll buy it from you.'"
And she did, turning Gianni's back into a community hot spot.
"You always have to be looking at how can I improve?" Huml said. "What can I do next? How can I make this better?"
For Huml, running Gianni's is more than just owning a business. It's about being part of the community.
"Being a participant in that community, for me, is very important, both civically and from a business perspective," she said.
She also helps to mentor other female business owners in the community.
"Having complete control of your own destiny is really rewarding, and it feeds me," Huml said.
To learn more about Gianni's, visit the restaurant's website here.