New owner Mark Pagnac stands near the baked goods section of Pillsbury Junction in Pillager, a gas station/convenience store he and his wife, Laurie, recently purchased. The Pagnacs, who also own the Clark Station and bakery in Staples, are in the process of remodeling portions of the Pillager store; and are enjoying meeting their new customers. (Staples World photo by Dawn Schimpp Timbs) Pillsbury Junction, located at Hwy 210 and Cty Rd. 1 South in Pillager, has new owners; and a new look.

Mark and Laurie Pagnac purchased the gas station/ convenience store Sept. 11, after hearing about it through mutual acquaintances of it's former owners.

Since that time, they've given the store a facelift; and have made changes to the outside of the building as well.

'Pay at the pump' is a service that is now available at Pillsbury Junction; and Mark plans to add awnings at some point.

Inside, customers will note that the store's ceiling has been raised 14 inches; and the counter/cash register area has been moved from the center of the store to a back wall...both of which have opened up the space considerably.

The walls have recently been painted in warm earth tones; and Mark will eventually put in new restrooms. Fresh-brewed coffee and bakery items are now available as well.

Formerly a registered licensed contractor, Mark has been able to do much of the remodeling work himself.

"Our plan is to have Pillsbury Junction look similar to our store in Staples," Mark said.

The Pagnacs, originally from the Forest Lake area, are no strangers to this area.

In July of 2007, they purchased what is now known as the Clark Station in Staples.

They weren't really looking to get into this line of

work, Mark said. "It sort of

just happened," he added. "We used to drive back and

forth from Forest Lake to Big Elbow Lake; and we'd stop for gas in Staples."

On one of their trips Mark Pagnac stands near the baked goods section of Pillsbury Junction in Pillager, a gas station/convenience store he and his wife, Laurie, recently purchased. The Pagnacs, who also own the Clark Station and bakery in Staples, are in the process of remodeling portions of the Pillager store; and are enjoying meeting their new customers. (Staples World photo by Dawn Schimpp Timbs) through Staples, they noticed a gas station for sale along Hwy 10. It didn't take the Pagnacs long to decide they'd buy it.

Mark put in a bakery at the Staples site and the donuts and other baked good items have become a hit with many folks in the area.

It's the second year that Mark has had a contract with Staples Motley schools to bake bread items for their lunch programs; and he hopes that it's a service he can provide to other schools in the future.

His store recently baked 75 dozen donuts for the 'Donuts with Dad' event at Pillager School.

Although he doesn't have plans at this point to add another bakery at Pillsbury Junction, fresh pastry items are brought over from the Clark Station in Staples on a daily basis.

"Where's the brownies today?" one customer asks Mark.

"Sorry, Tom, I guess we're out of those at the moment...we'll have some for you tomorrow," he answers good-naturedly.

This business is all about customer service, Mark tells this reporter. "Yep, that's crucial," he adds.

Mark is also a board member of the Staples Motley Area Chamber of Commerce; and believes strongly in community involvement.

"We really like this area," Mark said. "Laurie (who has a masters degree in marketing) also works for Medtronic, so she still travels back and forth from the Twin Cities."

The Pagnacs recently bought a home in Pillager. Their son, Cole, attends Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

Pillsbury Junction is open Monday - Saturday, 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. For more information, call 218- 746-3362.