049: Jonathan Holth: Building Community for Future North Dakotans, TEDx Talks & Fried Cheesy Pickles

Jonathan Holth is a community builder, father, and entrepreneur who lives in Grand Forks, ND. He co-owns the “upscale, but not uptight” Toasted Frog restaurants that specialize in fried cheesy pickles.

He’s a leader in a growing movement of private citizens who partner with friends, neighbors, public officials and foundations to make a difference in their communities. 

He invests his time in helping to create a more fun, interesting, economically diverse North Dakota for today and for his future grandchildren. He believes in building the community that you want to live in, and encourages all to become more vocal and get involved in your own communities.

Listen to our chat to hear Jonathan discuss:

His entrepreneurial journey through the creation and continued success of his restaurant, The Toasted Frog

Why Toasted Frog restaurants are closed on Sundays

Community involvement and the positive impact you can make as a proactive citizen

What it means to be a Knight Foundation city

His experience in community-building, specifically the work-study program he did in Copenhagen to study the city’s transportation modes, public spaces, and parks

The differences that he found in community planning for public spaces overseas compared to those processes in the U.S.

Being personal and intentional in the community design process when planning a community’s public spaces

Creating a grassroots organization within your community and the importance of developing public/private partnerships

The value of being involved with city hall as a private sector voice rather than running for office

His work with Evolve Grand Forks, an organization focused on creating an entrepreneurial culture in Grand Forks

The development of a co-working space  - the first space of its kind in the city

How to take the next step in your business without breaking the bank

Creating a strong community of talent, to attract and retain people

Creating reasons for people to choose to stay within the state including celebrating accomplishments

Emceeing and presenting at the TEDx talks to share GREAT ideas

Drawing inspiration from other communities

Creating community with a long-term vision as a legacy for future generations

Preserving the connections you make (and keep) in a smaller community while growing and evolving

Quotes from Jonathan:

“I think that there’s a misperception about restaurant ownership as being glamorous and fun. Much of the work that my business partners and I are doing during hours of operation are washing dishes, busing tables, and seating people. We do whatever needs to be done to make sure that the customers are happy.”

 

“The type of community that we want to live in doesn’t just appear, so I decided to get involved and try to make positive change wherever I could.” “I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my interest for running for office and that is something that does interests me, but I’ve also found that there needs to be a strong private sector voice. Public officials crave that voice so that they’re not always the ones advocating for change.”

“Oftentimes entrepreneurs are working out of their basement or they’re working out of their garage because they are sort of bootstrapping their business and just have a lack of funds. A co-working space allows you to take your business to the next level without breaking the bank. So, you don’t have to max out your credit cards to get your business off the ground.”

“The community-advocacy work that I’m doing right now, I’m viewing it through the lens of being a future grandfather. My parents lived here, my wife’s parents lived here, and all of my family loves this place and having family close and having this tight-knit community has done wonders for my daughters already. I want to make sure that our community is a place that my daughters are proud of and that early on in their lives they make a decision that ‘This is where I want to live and that this is where I want to raise my family.’”  

 

Contact Jonathan

Website: The Toasted Frog

Facebook: Toasted Frog - Bismarck

Twitter: @JonFromForks

Linkedin: Jonathan Holth

 

Contact Lisa: [email protected]