| In August of 1969, Sherman and Mae Kavanaugh
purchased a small Minnesota family housekeeping resort known as Brown's For Rest.
Located on Sylvan Lake near Brainerd, the resort included nine
cabins and a residence. During the early years, the lower level of
the residence was remodeled to become Kavanaugh's restaurant, with
an original capacity of 35. Mae ran the food operation and did most of the
cooking until the early 90's, when the youngest son, Tom, took
over as head chef.
This family resort has changed dramatically over the
years. After purchasing, the nine resort cabins were
winterized for year round use. Today, none of the original cabins
remain, all have been replaced with deluxe
townhomes and cottages. In addition, Kavanaugh's now
includes an indoor pool complex, and many more amenities.
Sherm, with help from his four sons, operated the resort and
restaurant until 1994, when he sold the property to his sons.
Today, John is the general manager of Kavanaugh's, and his wife
- Vicki, - manages the office and reservations. Tom and Mark head
up the real estate sales department and Dave is resort
operations manager and in charge of all construction, remodeling,
and maintenance. Dave's wife, Brenda, manages the
front desk. Mae and Sherm's original dream has not only
survived over the past 39 years, but has thrived to become one of
the premiere vacation destinations in the state of Minnesota. |
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Sherman Kavanaugh, founder of Kavanaugh's
Resort and Restaurant in East Gull Lake died Sunday, March
11th, 2001 in Brainerd.
Mae Kavanaugh, co-founder of Kavanaugh's and the
inspiration behind Kavanaugh's Restaurant, died on October
1, 2002.
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| Buying a resort and opening a restaurant in
1969, Sherm and Mae hoped to begin their dream of building a
successful business and family operation. They accomplished
that dream with considerable hard work, dedication and love.
Their example inspired four sons to form a partnership and
purchase the operation from their parents in 1994. Hopefully,
Sherm and Mae's legacy will continue through many future
generations. |
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