Coronado Cafe
1581 University Ave. (at Snelling)
St. Paul
Many thanks to Bob Jackson for information for this page!
THE BUILDING
The St. Paul papers are not online, but a search through the Minneapolis database finds people living at this address as early as 1911.
From at least 1924 to 1930 it was A.F. Kurth’s Pharmacy
CORONADO CAFE
The first mention of the cafe is in February 1939 when there is a robbery (love those robbery reports). At first it was a going nightclub.
Minneapolis Tribune, October 21, 1939
After a few upscale ads like this, the notices quickly became more like classified ads. But there were these matchbooks:
Image courtesy Bob Jackson
And thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society, we know what the place looked like;
The Snelling side. August 1948 photo courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
The University side. Photo also dated August 1948, courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
In 1959, Lindy’s Steakhouse was established in the basement. The only thing on the menu was sirloin steak – your only choice was what size you wanted.
SUBSEQUENT BUSINESSES
A search of the address shows that the cafe probably went out of business in about 1962. It’s a big building, so it may have been divided into several businesses.
In September 1962 the building became the home of the Foam Furniture Center.
In April 1968 it was the Wig Warehouse.
In January 1969 it was Ron’s Beauty Salon.
In November 1973 it became the Midway Branch of First Federal Savings and Loan, which then became Midwest Federal.
The contents of Midwest Federal were auctioned off on May 24, 1991.
The site is now a CVS Drug Store. As it began.