Plywood that was previously used to secure windows during Hurricane Elena. Upholstery that would look right at home draped across the floors of an animal rescue. Dimensions that appear to have been devised by an AI which only has a dim notion of how the human body is proportioned. These are the hallmarks of cheap furniture – the specialty of many chain stores, not one of which bears mention in a sophisticated magazine like Eden Prairie Lifestyle.
The driving force behind Yetzer Home Store’s success is no mystery. They have exclusively purveyed timeless quality since their foundation in 1941, which is why many Minnesotans’ family heirlooms trace their roots back to Waconia. Visit their showroom and you will discover a wide assortment of solid, elegant, American-made pieces – any of which could materialize in your home the same day you discover it – as well as the option of commissioning custom furniture by the Midwest’s own Amish craftsmen. Their premium mattresses, flooring, window treatments and rugs only further illustrate why Yetzer has transcended store status. It is an institution: the destination for people who truly own their homes, rather than merely occupy them.
And now Yetzer has yet another patent of success. With the grand opening of their second location in Forest Lake on November 19th, 2022, they became the first chain furniture store to grace this humble magazine’s pages.
“I got my first retail job when I was 14 years old,” said Thomas Wiest, owner of Yetzer, now 56, which is assuredly still a young age. “I enjoy retail. I’m told I’m good at it. I think anyone would agree that retail is what I do.”
Thomas’s finely honed retail instincts compelled him to purchase Yetzer’s original location in 2015. His decision to expand to Forest Lake was a far more measured one.
“I wanted to make sure the same business model that has made Yetzer an inextricable part of Waconia’s downtown would also bear fruit in our newest location,” said Thomas. “All roads pointed to Forest Lake. It has roughly the same population size. Its per capita income is only $1,500 apart. It has similar homes dotting a similar landscape. There were also no furniture stores within a 15-mile radius of Forest Lake – much like Waconia would have been, if not for Yetzer.”
Yetzer’s new 10,000-square-foot location was formerly a Rainbow Foods. Its polished cement floor still bears the faint outlines of holes which once gave passage to freon. It is a touch smaller than the flagship, although its absence of stairs does make it feel somewhat more spacious. These are only cosmetic differences, of course. The Forest Lake location is replete with the qualities which make Yetzer uniquely Yetzer.
“It’s still the same high-touch, high-communication customer service we’ve built our name on for eight decades,” said Thomas. “It’s still the same high-caliber merchandise, too. Our newest guests occasionally question why our prices are higher than our competitors’. But once they see just how well our pieces have been crafted – completely devoid of particle board and other flimsy materials common to the contents of shipping containers from China – they understand that we don’t in fact have any competitors. Yetzer occupies a singular sweet spot: mid- to upper-end quality in a boutique setting, where ordering custom is just as convenient as taking home a floor model.
“My wife Lynette and I cut the ribbon on our Forest Lake location with reasonable expectations. Our hope had been to match Waconia’s sales within 36 months of the snip. I’m now proud to say that Forest Lake actually surpassed Waconia several months out of last year. It is a testament to careful planning, our commitment to exceeding our guests’ expectations for their furniture shopping experience, and Minnesotans’ love of fine things. Other stores’ pieces wind up in landfills. Ours earn their places in our customers’ grandchildren’s houses.”
Yetzer Home Store’s three locations dedicated to furniture, sleep and flooring are all within walking distance of one another in downtown Waconia. If you ever find yourself on the other side of the Twin Cities, stop by their new location at 279 12th Street SW in Forest Lake. You may also call (952) 442-4242 (Waconia) or (651) 464-2131 (Forest Lake), or visit yetzers.com to learn more about how Yetzer can help transform your home.