Meet Your Local Business: Maui Wowi of Minnesota

Random Recipe... Hawaiian Style Fritters

Ingredients:
2 cans pineapple sliced or a large fresh pineapple. 

1/4 cup plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups fresh white bread crumbs 

1/2 cup shredded coconut 

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Canola oil, for shallow-frying

What you do:
If using fresh pineapple, chop into 1" slices.

Place pineapple on a paper towel, blot to remove moisture. Leave on paper towels to drain.

If you don't have prepared bread crumbs, use food processor or blender to create fine crumbs.

Place crumbs, coconut, cinnamon and sugar in mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly.

Place eggs in flat bowl and lightly mix. Set up an assembly line with flour on one plate, then eggs, then bread crumb mixture.

Coat pineapple slices with flour, then dip in eggs, then bread crumbs. Press crumbs in with fingertips.

Cook fritters in ¼ inch of oil, a few at a time, spooning hot oil over them for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.


Maui Wowi of Minnesota
20590 Monterey Ave.
Prior Lake, MN 55372
(952) 440-1772
http://www.minnesotamauiwowi.com    

Aloha, in the Hawaiian language means affection, peace or prosperity.  It’s a wonderful word and when Mary Bilger greets you with it, it takes on a genuinely festive tone.  It’s also hugely appropriate the owner of Maui Wowi of Minnesota would speak the language of the land where smoothies this good originate.

Maui Wowi is a franchise business that she has had for eleven years.  Prior to succeeding with Maui Wowi, Mary was a stay at home mom.  But when the kids got older, it became time to follow dreams she had about owning her own business.  She started by researching franchises and after a thorough investigation came to the decision that a then little know company named Maui Wowi would be the place to stake out her claims to success.

Nine years ago she started with one mobile cart.  She now has nine plus four smaller catering units and two stores, in Burnsville Center and Rosedale Center.  Her joy in proclaiming Maui Wowi to be “Minnesota’s favorite smoothie” seems to be pretty accurate.  Maui Wowi of Minnesota has a presence at Excel Energy Center, University of Minnesota, tons of fairs, festivals and youth athletic tournaments around the state.

It isn’t hard to understand this kind of phenomenal success.  The ingredients in a Maui Wowi are all natural.

They’re gluten free with no corn syrup or refined sugars.  That a smoothie can actually be delicious and good for you is a great recipe for success.

It’s a success made even more special when one considers that Minnesota Maui Wowi is a family business.  Mary has three sons.  Pat is 28, Jim 27 and Dave 25.  Jim works full time for her and the other two boys chip in part time when needed.  The fun aloha spirit is part and parcel to the attitude of the family toward their business.

It really seems to be all about 'Aloha Spirit' with Mary and Maui Wowi. It seems like she holds this principle in everything she does. She works to share this experience with you by offering their world-class products such as our Hawaiian coffees, All-Natural Fresh Fruit Smoothies, and 'Aloha customer service.

The enthusiasm of the Hawaiian Islands has taken Minnesota by storm.  In fact, Minnesotans are often surprised when they hear that January, February and March are her top selling months.  It’s more than likely because those of us stuck on the frozen tundra need to feel that there’s an easy connection to paradise, a particularly delicious connection.