Donella Westphal’s unexpected yet rewarding journey to owning Jules’ Bistro

Jules’ Bistro located in downtown St. Cloud. Donella Westphal ’03 is the current owner of the popular establishment (Photo courtesy of SavvyPhotage)

Just three years ago, Donella Westphal admittedly didn’t know much about running a restaurant and didn’t have much hospitality experience.

Yet in 2017, Westphal found herself as the new owner of a now popular and flourishing restaurant in St. Cloud.

Donella Westphal ’03, the owner of Jules’ Bistro in downtown St. Cloud. (Photo courtesy of SavvyPhotage)

Westphal, who earned her master’s degree in English from St. Cloud State University in 2003, is the proud owner of Jules’ Bistro in downtown St. Cloud. She took a leap of faith in buying the restaurant she frequently visited and doesn’t regret it for a moment now looking back.

“I am very proud of my decision to buy Jules’. I bought the Bistro because I wanted to create a safe space for creativity and community,” Westphal said. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to see that in action. Whether that’s providing a safe space for my cooks to experiment with food, a space for artists to display their art or a space for musicians to play their original music, I am very proud to be part of that.

“Where we are today with Jules’ is significantly different than where we once were. That continuous pursuit of excellence is what motivates me. I am jazzed by the desire to keep getting better.”

From graphic designer to restaurant owner

After Westphal earned her degree from St. Cloud State, she went on to work on campus in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for several years.

That was until she switched her career path in 2006, when a friend asked her to design a logo for her business. Graphic design wasn’t something Westphal knew much about, but she was willing to give it a shot.

“My friend loved the logo and passed it along to some friends of hers in the marketing field. They affirmed for her that it was a good design. Before I knew it, I had a half dozen businesses, artists and practitioners paying me to do creative work for them,” she said. “I’d spent most of my career in the communications field and a lot of time standing behind graphic designers. This logo project allowed me to experience that side of things and I really enjoyed it.

“For 13 years, I ran a successful creative strategy company and worked with small businesses on their marketing and messaging.”

When Westphal moved from Carrington, North Dakota to St. Cloud with her husband Brian in 1999 and later started her creative strategy company in 2006, there was one place she would always visit to work on her business and meet with clients: Jules’ Bistro.

The Bistro became somewhat of a second home for Westphal, visiting the restaurant 3-4 times a week while becoming a regular there for 10 years.

One day while visiting the restaurant, Westphal asked the previous owner of Jules’ Bistro, Julie, if she would like any marketing work done for her. What that ending up turning into was Westphal ultimately taking over the business.

“One day, the previous owner Julie tapped me on the shoulder and said she wanted to sell her business quietly and was wondering if I could help her do that. I didn’t really have any idea how to do that, but I asked her for a few days to come up with some ideas,” Westphal said. “I drove home, walked up the steps, looked at my husband and said ‘Julie is selling the Bistro and I’m going to buy it.’ It was very intuitive and instinctual. I made the decision in about 30 seconds.”

Westphal was officially the new owner of Jules’ Bistro about six weeks later. The popular restaurant has continued to flourish ever since, doubling capacity while employing 26 people and continuing to renovate and expand in 2020.

An example of the wide range of menu items at Jules’ Bistro in downtown St. Cloud, which is owned by Donella Westphal ’03. (Photo courtesy of SavvyPhotage)

“The odds were kind of stacked against me. I didn’t have piles of money. I had almost no hospitality experience outside of working as a waitress for three months in college. I knew nothing about operating a restaurant,” she said. “It was really an unlikely decision from the outside looking in. But I knew in my gut that this was the thing I was supposed to do next.

“I was determined to figure out how to do it. The sale happened really quickly and suddenly I was the owner of Jules’ Bistro. It’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since.” 

Remaining connected with SCSU and St. Cloud

Since 2017 when she took over Jules’ Bistro, Westphal has continued to connect and establish relationships with many throughout the St. Cloud community, including the university where she earned her master’s degree.

Jules’ Bistro located in downtown St. Cloud. Donella Westphal ’03 is the current owner of the popular establishment. (Photo courtesy of SavvyPhotage)

She encourages her employees to engage the community, creating a family-like atmosphere for many when visiting the restaurant. That mindset and willingness also ended up re-connecting her with St. Cloud State, specifically with the athletics department.

“When I first bought Jules’, our demographic was primarily middle-aged professional women. About six to eight months in, one of my staff members came into my office and said ‘there are four guys here from the SCSU hockey team eating dinner.’ I didn’t think too much of it, but it continued to happen and started to create a buzz with my team and other guests,” Westphal said. “SCSU athletes were coming here frequently to eat with their friends and families.”

Westphal eventually discovered that SCSU athletic trainer Bryan DeMaine recommended Jules’ Bistro to the players. He is from the same hometown in North Dakota as Westphal’s husband and works with the men’s hockey team and other programs at the university.

That connection, along with the St. Cloud State players’ fondness for visiting the restaurant, opened the door to Westphal getting involved in a partnership with Huskies Athletics shortly after, most notably providing some pre-game meals for the hockey programs.

“One day, a student brought a box of schedules in and I told him if there was any way that I could support the athletic department or be involved with the teams, I would welcome that. The very next day, I got a call from Chad (Sheetz) in the athletic department asking if he could come meet with me,” Westphal recalled. “We talked about ideas. I told him that we were expanding and he said he thought the space would be perfect for pre-game meals for the hockey teams. That’s how it all started. We ended up feeding the men’s team before eight or nine of their home games the first year and it went so well that the women’s team asked if they could eat here too last year.

“It has been so great to connect with the energy of athletic performance. It’s not just a sponsorship and we don’t just feed the teams. We get to develop relationships with the young men and women and we really love it.”

Westphal’s journey to becoming the owner of Jules’ Bistro was somewhat of an unexpected one. But that leap of faith and determination to make it work has led to the establishment of many connections and memories over the past three years, including with the university she began that journey at nearly two decades ago.

“I love St. Cloud State. I am a very loyal alum. I care a ton about the university and its role in my life and our community,” Westphal said. “Our connection with St. Cloud State is incredibly meaningful. It happens on many levels, not just with the athletic teams. It’s really common to see someone in here wearing a St. Cloud State University logo. When I see that, I always make a point to go up and talk to them. I love learning. I love academia. My whole experience at St. Cloud State was really wonderful.”