For Bob and Cindy Boegeman, 2025 has been a busy year, due in large part to a wish that was fulfilled after waiting nearly a decade.
The owner of the old car repair business located on Main Avenue finally agreed it was time to close up shop and sold them the property as last year came to a close. The big sign for Dingman’s Auto Body came down months ago. It has since been replaced with YT’s Garage Sports Bar.
The Boegemans are far from newcomers to the area, having spent most of their childhood in Prior Lake. Bob came from a family with 12 children, and his long-standing nickname is “Whitey,” due to his very light blonde hair he’s had all his life. While the spelling changed, “YT” stuck as part of the name of their new adventure which opened in September.
The couple has owned and operated at least one business during each of the past 45 years. Several have been bought and sold, including the former Hollywood Inn (two locations), and part-ownership in Village Market, which was purchased by Lund’s and Byerly’s and turned into that brand in 2004. The couple still owns and operates Village Liquor in Priordale Mall.
Their latest venture was born out of their love for Minnesota sports bars, according to to Cindy. Both envisioned creating something unique for Prior Lake, keeping with a garage theme. Bob wanted to have a vehicle — or at least a big part of one — dominate the decor, along with garage doors that could be open during summer months. Having a patio and large outdoor space where patrons could mingle was a must for Cindy, adding that large heaters have already been ordered so the back deck can remain open during the winter months.
“Downtown Prior Lake has nothing like that,” she said. “The last nine months have been intense, but we’re really happy with the way everything turned out. We hired local contractors and city staff was great to work with.”
For now, YT’s offers a basic food menu that will grow with time. All food items are cooked using a greaseless steam air fryer. Specialty pizzas are a big hit with customers. YT’s is open seven days a week, including Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
“Downtown has turned into a community gathering place,” Cindy said. “We already have our ‘regulars.’ What’s really nice is that all of the local bars and restaurants work together to make this a destination spot that’s both fun and walkable for our customers.”
Still relatively new, YT’s fills up quickly on the days when big sports events are scheduled. On a recent Sunday afternoon, all tables were filled with patrons watching one or more of the nine large screen televisions that surround the bar area.
“I thought we knew just about everybody in Prior Lake,” she added. “It’s incredible how many people we don’t know, and many of them go to all of the downtown spots to try them out.”
The Boegemans are pleased that local residents continue to stop by and welcome them to the downtown area.
“Both of us have always loved Prior Lake, and we want this to be a fun place for people to come,” Cindy said. “It motivates us when we can help the community and our neighbors around us.”
