The Copper Stein was a restaurant located in the Tonka Terrace Shopping Center, at Highway 7 and County Road 9 in Tonka Bay.  The shopping center opened on October 1, 1955.

The first entry found in the Minneapolis papers was on March 1, 1958.  It perhaps replaced the early Terrace Kitchens.  That first ad billed it as a smorgasbord, which was the set-up on Sundays.  The next entry (and these are just classified ads) in May 1958 called it a supper club.

It was owned by brothers-in-law Ray Koberstein and Keith Whitney.  Koberstein was a barber, and Whitney was a blacktop contractor, according to Will Jones.  (Minneapolis Tribune, June 2, 1958)

Jones described it as:

a place full of dark wood, gleaming copper, round tables and low-beamed-ceiling gemutlichheit.

---

 

Matchbook below posted by Luke Lukens.

 

---

 

FOOD AND DRINK AT THE COPPER STEIN

Koberstein explained to Jones,

When we started, what we thought we were running was a high-class 3.2 place, but because of the setting, I guess, people kept asking for food.

Chef Karl Lhotsky was recruited, and set to making his European specialties, such as chicken a la pheasant, goulash, chicken Kiev, Russian-style turkey breast, tournedos of beef, and “that unbeatable dessert,” palachinky.

As for drinks, it was set-ups only at first.  Diners who brought wine were provided with ice buckets and “handsome crystal.”  Those who wanted mixed drinks brought the essentials and were served ice, chilled glasses, mixing implements, olives, and cherries.

---

 

MUSIC AT THE COPPER STEIN

Although there was music at the restaurant/supper club, it was not advertised, and not what people remember.

The few references to music I did find were:

The May 1958 ad featured Skeets Reiman at the piano bar in the Cider Cellar on Fridays and Saturdays.

Another source says that Excelsior native Jim Eddy performed at the club.

Dancing was added to the New Year’s Eve Smorgasbord in 1958, reported Will Jones.

And there was this early ad for the piano bar:

 

---

 

 

In April 1959, Cedric Adams reported that the Copper Stein was switching to a private club.  This may have been an attempt to get a liquor license.  The private club status was dropped in December 1959.

In July 1963, the Tonka Terrace Shopping Center was renamed Country Club Plaza.

On September 10, 1963, a fire burned out two rooms and caused fire damage to a third.  Keith Whitney was identified as the owner, and he estimated the damage at $60,000 to $70,000.  The grand reopening was on December 6, 1963 – by this time the development was called Minnetonka Plaza.

In October 1964, an ad identified it as Aldritt’s Copper Stein Restaurant.

In May 1965 it was called Murphy’s Copper Stein.

In July 1979, the owners were Richard and Betty Wakefield.

 

The Copper Stein closed, to become a variety of other eateries, in March 1997.