Q: How did the cool new watercraft at The Beach Nook come about?
A by Todd Wietzema, Worthington Public Works Director: Well, we’d keep hearing all the time that there’s nothing for kids to do in this town. The Lake Okabena Improvement Association came to the city and asked if it had something that they could spend some of their fundraising money on. We thought about it and asked, ‘What about some watercraft rentals?’
Q: That’s great. So how badly did you have to twist the arms of the folks at the Beach Nook to hop on board?
A by Wietzema: We knew there would be this new building out here, and that there would be plenty of storage available and the ability to do the rentals here. We asked Faith (Arnt) if she would be interested in managing it for us and she said, ‘Absolutely.’
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Q: It’s a pretty big summer at The Beach Nook, with the fancy new building and watercraft. How else has the place changed over the years?
A by Autumn Arnt: When we first started out, we’d never had the Beach Bash or anything like that. We incorporated that, and that was big for us.
Faith Arnt: I guess we’ve changed some of the food we sell, and some of the candy. My mom sometimes likes to go all out … but we like to stick with the basics.
Q: How long has your family been operating The Beach Nook in Centennial Park?
A by Faith: Jessica (oldest sister) convinced my mom to get it. In the beginning, we were younger and didn’t really like it so much.
Autumn: But once we were older and needed jobs, it became a fun place to work and earn some good money.
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Q: You’re tempted by a lot of tasty treats all the time. What are your favorites?
A by Autumn and Faith: Walking tacos and the ice cream.
Faith: I eat a lot of ice cream. I would say the number one sellers are vanilla and strawberry. I know Almond Joy’s a huge hit, and the kids love Super Rainbow.
