Downtown Hastings is an area rich with history and store space that does not open very often, so when Wendi and Ryan Johnson had the opportunity to grab one of the buildings, they knew they needed to jump. 

“Ryan and I are both Hastings natives who grew up here,” explained Wendi. “Last fall we saw that this building came up for sale and we fell in love with the building and the prospect of owning a piece of a downtown Hastings store.” 

“We wanted to bring it back to a more original state,” added Ryan. 

“That was that was the initial draw. Just having the building and having the peace of downtown Hastings,” expanded Wendi. “Then we took a look at the space and thought about what we could give to the community? Both being from large families, we know how hard it can be to find those flexible spaces where you can bring your own food and you only need to rent it for the time that you need it for.” 

The space is called The Studio Downtown, and the concept is simple. It is a wide-open space available for rent by the hour with the only true caveat being, there is a two-hour minimum.  It has a small kitchen that is perfect for the final assembly and storage of already cooked foods. The space is perfect for small to medium group parties, wedding receptions, large family holiday needs, photography sessions, smaller dance instruction and anything else you would need an open space indoors for. 

“We have a full-sized commercial refrigerator; we also have a freezer. There are plenty of outlets for crockpots and roasters to keep food warm. If you're going to do a potluck there's plenty of counter space to stage and put together your food to move it out to the food service tables when the when you're ready for your event to start,” explained Wendi. “It is important to know that there is no cooking on site, people can bring their own prepped food or hire a caterer.” 

The construction and clean-up of the space were done mostly by Ryan and his father with the kitchen and bathrooms being built by Stotko Speedling Construction. 

With the facility being open only a few days, the Johnsons already have 15 bookings scheduled. Their rates are very affordable, $60 an hour during the week for events and $85 for Saturday or Sunday events. The event rentals include seating for up to 80 people, tables and chairs, plus buffet tables for food service and additional tables for gifts or displays, as well as a Bluetooth sound bar and a projector. There are additional charges for table linens and additional tables and chairs. The space can seat a total of 95. 

If you want to rent just the space for a photography session or something where you do not need the tables and chairs, that is $45 per hour during the week and $70 per hour on the weekend, again with a two-hour minimum. 

To book the space visit www.thestudiodowntown.net.