Fargo's Funky Branch
March 4, 2013 9:00 AM
VISIONBank in Fargo, N.D., has converted a former restaurant into an eye-catching branch where customers are invited to sit by the fire, play with the dog, grab a soda from the fridge and make themselves at home.
You wouldn't necessarily want the desks and office chairs in your study at home, but the cabinetry helps to soften the overall look.
The bank's conference room is used on weekends by a local prayer group that meets here.
Scout, the CEO's 2-year-old black Labrador, has been hanging around the branch since she was a puppy. She also is a popular presence on the bank's Facebook page.
January is the coldest month in Fargo, with an average high of 18 degrees. By March, the high temperature averages 36 degrees, but the low still averages below 20.
CEO Dan Carey frequently entertains customers at the piano on the main floor of the branch.
The operations staff sits upstairs. The stairway down to the lobby level evokes the feel of a locker room, to help foster team spirit.
This is the bank's training room. VISIONBank has a young staff, with an average age of 34, the CEO says.
