Our Story
Perfecting authentic, fresh and made-from-scratch Minnesota foods for over 20 years
Tim “Giggles” Weiss and his dear friend Doug Holter founded Giggles’ Campfire Grill LLC in 2000. Doug passed away suddenly of a massive heart attack in 2007. Giggles and Doug’s family worked together to carry on the tradition of the Campfire Grill in his honor.
Giggles’ Campfire Grill is located on the historic Minnesota State Fairgrounds, located in the heart of the Twin Cities. From its beginnings, the Campfire Grill has specialized in authentic, fresh and made-from-scratch Minnesota fish and game menu selections complemented by homemade sauces and toppings.
The Campfire Grill is a family owned and operated company led by Giggles and his three adult children. Guests of Giggles’ Campfire Grill arrive as friends and leave as family. We pride ourselves on our employment referral system to gather the best talent for the Minnesota State Fair each and every year. Our team is committed to providing outstanding service and exceeding customer expectations during every part of their experience.
Giggles’ has operated at the Minnesota State Fair, one of the largest events in North America, since the company was established in 2000. The “Great Minnesota Get-Together” as it’s affectionately referred to by loyal Minnesotans attracts upwards of 1.8 million people during its annual 12-day run. Giggles’ Campfire Grill serves classic, made-from-scratch Minnesota dishes, craft beer and more to 100,000+ fairgoers each year. Additionally, the Campfire Grill hosts more than 40 public and private events throughout the duration of the year.
The venue reflects the atmosphere of Minnesota’s north woods with a log cabin main building featuring eight service windows and state-of-the-art commercial kitchen. The 3,000 square-foot log pavilion with a floor-to-ceiling fieldstone fireplace sits just east of the main building and accommodates 300-500 people depending on the configuration. A cobblestone patio with umbrella tables and two decorative fireplaces is adjacent to the pavilion and seats 150 guests. Our theme and menu work in tandem, so guests make the connection to vacations “up north,” Minnesota’s vibrant landscape and wildlife habitats, and the changing Minnesota seasons.
People you should Know
Tim “Giggles” Weiss
Tim was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minn. and attended Cretin High School. Upon graduation, Tim started tending bar and became the assistant manager at Tiffany’s Sports Lounge in Saint Paul. In addition to working at Tiffany’s, Tim was a route salesman for Billy Boy Juices and Capital Beverage Distributing. In the late ‘80s, Tim began managing Gabe’s by the Park and five years later, bought the establishment. In addition to Gabe’s by the Park, Tim has owned and operated several bars and restaurants throughout the past three decades including: Gabe’s on Central, Smalley’s 87 Club, Giggles’ Chicago Street Grill and Gabe’s Rinkside.
In 2000, Tim got the call that would change his life forever. His application for a food concession at the Minnesota State Fair had been approved. In August of 2000, Giggles’ Campfire Grill opened for its inaugural Minnesota State Fair. Since that first State Fair, the operation has grown to become one of the top five most popular food concessions at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. With the addition of the North Woods Pavilion and Patio, the Campfire Grill is now home to nearly 50 public and private events outside of the twelve days of the Minnesota State Fair.
In January of 2017, Tim sold The Original Gabe’s by the Park to focus on building the Giggles’ Campfire Grill brand and to free up time to produce additional private events at Giggles Campfire Grill on the State Fairgrounds.
Meghan (Weiss) Kemna
Meghan is Giggles’ oldest daughter. She started her Giggles’ Campfire Grill career during the 2011 Minnesota State Fair. Meghan enjoys running the front-of-house operations including training staff and overseeing guest services. Meghan also helps coordinate all private events throughout the summer months. She was SafeServ certified in 2016, leading the charge in keeping food and beverage safety a top priority for Giggles’ team members. Outside of the fairgrounds, you can find Meghan at St. Thomas More as the assistant principal, coaching high school swimming or spending time with her husband, Jake, daughter Lucy, and Gustie, their black lab.
Ali (Weiss) Nomeland
Ali is the middle of the Weiss siblings. She started working at Giggles’ Campfire Grill during the 2011 Minnesota State Fair with Meghan. During the Great Minnesota Get-Together, you can find her taking food and beverage orders at a guest service window or in the office helping the accounting and treasury staff. Ali works behind the scenes coordinating all of the logistics and bookings of private events throughout the office season. She also specializes in promoting Giggles’ Campfire Grill through web development and social media channels. Outside the fairgrounds, you can find Ali spending time with her husband Duane and young boys Owen, Sullivan, Teddy, and Bennett all while managing legal research tools at Thomson Reuters.
Thomas Weiss
Thomas is Giggles’ youngest son. He started working at Giggles’ Campfire Grill in 2009 as a utility worker. In 2014, Thomas was responsible for hand-dipping every single s’more beer cup in our signature chocolate and graham cracker rimmer! He can be found managing the kitchen line staff and helping with all things operations (ordering, inventory and forecasting to name a few). Often you can find Thomas traveling the globe (or at least planning the next adventure) and working for Delta HQ in Atlanta, GA!
