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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Minnesota Diners |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Spud Boy Lunch [gone] Lanesboro, MN |
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The Spud Boy Lunch was built by the Goodell Dining Car Company in 1927. It was originally installed in Wellington, OH and went by various names including Carl's Diner, Hazel's Diner, the Village Diner, and Cecil's Trackside Diner. By 2001, the diner had closed and was endangered. Mike Engle had it moved to Gilbertsville, NY where it was put in storage. It was later moved to Towanda, PA where Gordon Tindall began restoring it.
In 2008, Gordon and the diner moved from Towanda, PA to Lanesboro, MN where restoration continued. The Spud Boy opened in 2012. Gordon and his wife, Val, ran the diner. Gordon has restored two other diners: the Clarksville Diner which is now in France and the Red Rose Diner in Towanda, PA. In 2018, the diner closed and by 2023 it was gone. I assume that it's in storage. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Valentine diner [gone] Minneapolis, MN |
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| This Valentine diner was from about 1948 or 1949 and had three seats. Around 2002, it was known as the SnakkSttop Gourmet Brathouse. It later became Pete's Crossing. When these photos were taken in 2007, it appeared to be abandoned. By 2011, it was gone. For more, see this website. |
| former Venus Diner Gibsonia, PA (now Minneapolis, MN) |
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| The Venus Diner is a Fodero from 1957. This diner closed in 2006. In 2007, just after these photos were taken, the diner was moved to Cleveland where it was restored. In 2016, it was installed in Minneapolis as the Hi-Lo Diner. The name comes from the Hiawatha/Longfellow neighborhood in which it is located. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Mickey's Diner St. Paul, MN |
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| Mickey's Diner is a 1937 O'Mahony (#1067) made in NJ and shipped to MN. It is the only real diner left in Minnesota and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The interior features stainless steel, mahogany and mirrored fixtures. The glass vestibule, added when the diner was installed, protects patrons from the cold. The diner closed in 2020 and reopened in 2024. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Chris & Rob's Chicago's Taste Authority (now Tori Ramen) St. Paul, MN |
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| Chris & Rob's Chicago's Taste Authority occupied this converted trolley car when these 2012 photos were taken. This is not a "real", prefabricated diner but I'll include it here anyway. Chris & Rob's first location was opened in Minneapolis in 2004. This location opened in 2008. Before Chris & Rob's, this trolley car housed the Villa Roma restaurant. I don't know when it was first installed here or where it came from. Around 2018, the trolley car was painted a bright blue with yellow details. In 2019, Taste Authority closed and the trolley was occupied by Tori Ramen. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Diners Main Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |