In 1964 in Albert Lea Minnesota, Ernie and Rose Jacobson created what we like to call Minnesota-style pizza. That year, they opened the first Jake’s Pizza and developed the mouth-watering pizza recipes. More than 40 years later, their son Mark Jacobson, still mixes and packages this same unique blend of spices used today in the delicious tomato sauce and zesty meat seasonings for Jake’s Pizza New Ulm.

Over the years, more Jake’s Pizza locations were opened by the Jacobson family or their friends including pizzerias in Fairmont, St. James, Wells, Willmar, Montevideo, Granite Falls, New Ulm and recently by their grandson in LaQuinta California.

In 1972, Rose’s brother, Vern ‘Sarge’ Carstensen and his wife, Norma, opened Jake’s Stadium Pizza in Mankato just down Stadium Road from Minnesota State University - Mankato. Later they purchased the St. James Jake’s Pizza from Ernie and Rose. Both these pizzerias were proud to continue the family tradition of using the same pizza recipes.

In 1997, after 25 years running successful Jake’s Pizza locations Sarge and Norma decided to retire and sell the pizzerias to their daughters.

The St. James pizzeria to daughter Diane Halverson and Jake’s Stadium Pizza in Mankato to daughter and son-in-law Brenda and Wally Boyer.

Since 1997, Wally and Brenda have done some renovation of Jake’s Stadium Pizza, but the pizzeria the people of Mankato and students of the University have come to love is still baking up that crisp and zesty Minnesota-style pizza. Every summer, during the Vikings annual training camp in Mankato, Jake’s Stadium Pizza is proud to have Vikings personnel and fans as their customers. Look around the dining room and you’ll see autographs collected over the years on pizza peels hanging on the walls.

In 2006, Wally and Brenda, along with long-time manager James Trauger, decided it was time to branch out by reopening a pizzeria in New Ulm.

James’ sister and brother, Rochelle Baumgartner and Joe Trauger agreed and signed on as co-investors. After a significant remodel of an existing building, Jake’s Pizza of New Ulm opened its doors to a hungry public on February 1, 2007.

Jake’s Pizza has become a Southern Minnesota tradition providing guests with a quality product for over 40 years. We hope you enjoy our Minnesota-style pizza and poor boys as much as we love making them.