july 7, 2025
Hannah Neumann, Captain Server at Meritage (owned by Russell Klein & Desta Maree) met me before a Friday evening shift. Hannah told me,
"I've been working in restaurants for 18 years now. I honestly have no idea what brought me to Downtown Saint Paul 10 years ago. Maybe it was it's location right off the highway for those of us commuting. I remember being a little intimidated by the tall buildings, the parking, and the confident business people I saw striding the sidewalks... Now I'm one of those people, striding Downtown like I know what I'm doing."
“I've enjoyed working in Downtown Saint Paul for the variety, the early nights, and the subtle charm. I love that when I work a shift at the restaurant I serve guests going to such a variety of events. From Minnesota Wild fans to concert goers at The Palace. From history buffs attending The History Theater to women dressed in gowns about to see the opera at The Ordway. Guests come in to our restaurant with such different energies and needs based on what they are in Saint Paul to do and I love having that variety."
Hannah makes me miss winter, "The Christmas season in Saint Paul is beautiful. I get to look out of our huge glass windows and see a trail of twinkling trees all the way to Rice Park. Our old buildings are beautiful in St. Paul. Meritage is in the Hamm building which is over 100 years old. The main lobby is gorgeous."
Hannah tells me how she makes the world a better place,
“My husband and I are a foster home for Ramsey county. I'll be honest, it's both a selfish and an unselfish endeavor. I love more than anything being a mama and loving on my kids. But as I work Downtown and see so many people struggling, so many people beyond my ability to help, I come home and I pour myself into my kids. I teach them, nurture them, show them grace, love, and consistency. And I pray that my husband and I are changing the course of their lives for the better.”
Through my kids I'm also able to show love, grace, and understanding to their birth parents. I can't be everything they need, but I try to be a small source of encouragement and love amid all of the incredibly hard things they face. So that's what we are doing to share the abundant blessings God's given us; to make this city, this state, this country, a better place."
Hannah envisions the future, “I hope the future of Downtown Saint Paul looks like people and businesses moving in who are patient, kind, and hardworking. I hope this leads to a more beautiful Downtown that offers tangible comfort and positivity for those visiting (because of those who are living and working here)…”
“I play a very small role in the picture of Downtown Saint Paul, but I'll be in the Meritage bar for the foreseeable future, offering a quiet smile for anyone walking in our doors.”
