Sale of Cragun’s Resort Near Brainerd Now Complete

It’s official—the sale of Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd has now been completed.

It was announced that the deal had been agreed upon last month, but the sale was finalized on Tuesday. Cragun’s Resort, which had been family owned since 1940, is now owned by Jamie Tatge, a Brainerd resorter, local Lakes Area resident, and CEO of Baxter-based Leisure Hotels and Resorts and a team of other longtime resort operators.

While the terms of the sale will not be disclosed, Cragun’s Resort is the third-largest resort in the state, and the deal is assumed to be the largest resort transaction in Minnesota history. According to a press release, the deal was borne strictly out of relationships, with no brokers involved.

Dutch Cragun, now 93 years old, and his late wife Irma ran Cragun’s for most of its existence, taking over for Dutch’s parents who bought the property and started the resort in 1940. Cragun’s Resort employs more than 400 employees and includes 206 lodge-style rooms, 55 cabins, and seven homes on the golf course, along with five dining options and the three golf courses.

Lakeland News is looking to have a complete story on the sale with interviews from those involved in the near future.