Welcome to the most anticipated issue of the year—the annual Best of Maple Grove Readers’ Poll results, showcasing community members’ favorite businesses and services, and, in my estimation, this issue can’t come soon enough.
While our magazine has always supported “all things local,” including commerce, municipal programs and services and residents, our staff is particularly eager this year to highlight anything, everything and anyone, who has made living through this recent pandemic somewhat bearable, at times delightful and often wonderful.
You’ll notice that our editorial team added a new category to this year’s lineup. Takeout and curbside dining hit an all-time high over the course of last year and into 2021, so we felt Best Takeout/Curbside was a must-have category. Without further ado … The winners are waiting for you on page 18.
But wait, don’t forget to visit page 20 for my Editor’s Picks, where you’ll meet a group of local pastors, who wondered what could be done to be an additional blessing to the community. Discover how a Maple Grove group is working to make the city a greater place for seniors and the ways a business owner turned her attention toward mask making during the early days of the pandemic. Learn how a local cafe and its customers took special care of healthcare workers, and find out how a couple of college freshmen developed a business that, unbeknownst to them, ended up being very pandemic-friendly.
Until next time,
Renée Stewart-Hester
