Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/536070
MOTORCYCLE Iron Horse Outfitters & Inn is a dream business for former firefighter BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR What better place for an inn than the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Minnesota? Iron Horse Outfitters & Inn offers exactly what any motor- cyclist-on-the-go needs, including gear and a place to shut the eyes before getting back to the open road. Pat Shanahan, owner of Iron Horse Outfit- ters & Inn, and his wife Karla opened their motorcycle accessories store and inn in May. Retiring after 25 years as a professional fire- fighter both in the U.S. Marines and in Roch- ester, Minn., Shanahan decided to pursue his second passion in life — motorcycling. "Motorcycling has been the one thing in my life that's a constant. As a matter of fact, my mom was sort of the driving force of motor- cycles in my life, and I'm pretty fortunate that my wife does the same thing," Shanahan said. "I rode motorcycles my entire life, and my kids all ride. It's a family affair." The Shanahans have four children: Carolyn, Megan, Willie and Sam. All four help out with the business, and Willie dabbles in racing. When looking for the perfect location for his dream business, Shanahan found Lanes- boro, Minn., nestled within the "Historic Bluff Country" of southern Minnesota. He decided to open an accessories store without a service department. "It's a touristy town, more of a destination town for riders, and we have all these good roads around us," he explained. "In order to make the store work, instead of having a shop attached, I put in a hotel." Iron Horse was designed to give riders a place to gather, feel comfortable and stay awhile. The inn features four rooms, sleeping a total of 10. Shanahan joined together his travel knowledge and past riding experiences to make sure that Iron Horse could cater to touring rid- ers in the best way possible. "We actually have modeled the living arrangement here on a combination of different other places that my wife and I have traveled to on motorcycles," Shanahan said. "We generally ride with three other couples; we go on longer trips, so we try and find a place where we can take up the entire building." RENT THE ENTIRE PLACE! Iron Horse offers riders the opportunity to rent out the entire building if desired. "The idea is that four couples can come, each rent a room here, and then they have this common area to them- selves to hang out with their people … instead of being forced to run off to a bar or a restaurant to do all that," he added. This way touring groups can have a common space to plan without worry- ing about bothering other parties. "We rent to anybody, any night or time. You don't have to take the whole building over, but most people that have stayed have said 'We're coming back; we're going to rent them all!'" he said. Iron Horse's building was originally built in 1887, and with renovations, Shanahan and his family have restored it down to its original floors and décor. While Shanahan says the interior decoration transports hotel guests back to the 1920s, the accommodations certainly aren't old fashioned. All rooms include modern amenities, such as king-size beds, refrigerators and large, flat- screen TVs. "Because we're motorcyclists, not bicyclists," he added. The accessories store will buy and sell new and used gear, not including helmets. "We don't do parts or service because you don't come here when your bike is broken. You come to Lanesboro when your bike's running. Gen- erally, we'll sell clothing, gear and gift items," he said. Shanahan hopes to sell different items than what a typical dealership has to offer, including souvenir-type shirts with Lanesboro topics printed on them. Between man-cave items like gumball machines and a new wom- en's apparel section, Iron Horse hopes to cater to both riders and their passengers. CUSTOM BIKES ON SITE Besides gear, Shanahan has also decided to help sell a few motorcycles from a small showroom on the main level. "I'm seeking out builders, restorers and painters and basi- cally giving them a place to put their cool bike on display for sale. I'm trying to gallery the bike for the builder," Shanahan said. His goal is to coordinate arrangements between buyers and builders, especially giving a boost to local builders. Iron Horse also offers a coin- operated laundry on the same floor as its rooms, another amenity the Shanahans found favorable during their own travels. "We're riders. We understand that you get caught in the rain, and you travel light," said Shanahan. "We tried to think of everything a motorcycle rider wants but can't necessarily always have with them or need when they're out on the road." Shanahan says they anticipate that the hotel will be open and available all year round. It remains to be seen whether or not the accessories store will be open in the win- ter. "Lanesboro is very vibrant in the summer and a little sleepier in the winter, but our hotel will be open. With the motorcycle shop … we'll do whatever makes the most sense. As of now, we're open as long as people are coming," he said. The town of Lanesboro continues to grow just as much as Iron Horse, with 10 new busi- nesses celebrated at a ribbon-cutting event in June. Among some of the pending businesses is a whiskey distillery set to open late fall or early spring 2016. There's no question the town remains supportive of new businesses like Iron Horse. In mid-June, the city council approved and painted several new motorcycle parking stalls in downtown, just for riders, right in front of Iron Horse. "Some towns don't want motorcycles, but Lanesboro is not that way. This town welcomes motorcyclists," Shanahan said. "To prove it they took valuable parking spots — there are not many downtown parking spots — and gave them to the motorcyclists." PSB A motorcycle inn with small town feel 40 • July 13, 2015 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Pat Shanahan, owner of Iron Horse Outfitters & Inn, and his wife Karla opened their motorcycle accessories store and inn in May. Pat Shanahan will help sell a few motor- cycles from a small showroom on the main level. His goal is to coordinate arrangements between buyers and builders, especially giv- ing a boost to local builders. In mid-June, the Lanesboro City Council approved and painted several new motor- cycle parking stalls in downtown, just for riders, right in front of Iron Horse. The south- east Minnesota city is known for tourism and its undulating terrain.