Nando’s Hideaway was located at 1975 E. Old Shakopee Road, in Bloomington.

Instead of a romantic night club, this was actually a picnic ground, located south of Old Shakopee Road and east of Cedar Ave.

Thanks to the folks on the Flashbacks of Bloomington, MN and Surrounding Area Facebook page, we learn many things about this place with the wonderful name!

Ed C. says there was a long driveway going down to it.

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COSTELLO’S GROVE

Costello’s Grove was located at 92nd and Cedar (on the Minnesota River) and was operated by William S.  Costello.  The first mention of this location is on October 11, 1935.  It was the site of the annual Boo-yah and Mulligan feast.  (Minneapolis Journal)

It was the kind of place where an organization would rent it out for a picnic – like the butchers union, or a church, or a political organization.

Costello apparently did very well.  On June 7, 1942, the renovation of his home, which was described as a farm house located near the Grove property was highlighted in the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal Magazine.

There was dancing – In June 1943 Costello placed three ads in the Minneapolis papers.

 

However, in June 1944, Costello was fined $50 for allowing dancing after midnight, when a group of high school just-graduates were found dancing at 4:30 in the morning.  By this time the venue was in Bloomington Township.  (Minneapolis Star Journal, June 16, 1944)

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McDONALD’S PICNIC GROUNDS

The Raymond McDonald family of 8233 Lyndale bought Costello’s and modernized it between 1950 and 1951.

 

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NANDO’S HIDEAWAY

McDonald’s became Nando’s Hideaway in the spring of 1956, and featured dancing.

 

 

 

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In 1959, Nando’s Hideaway belonged to George Paytyn, who applied to the Bloomington City Council to replace the picnic pavilion with a trailer park.  He pointed out that although the property was adjacent to a highly-restricted residential area, the park itself was zoned industrial.  In the face of a petition with 140 names, and a recommendation of denial by the planning commission, the Council rejected the application.  (Minneapolis Star, December 22, 1959)

HALL BROTHERS

In the spring of 1960, the place was taken over by Tom Snelling, a former air force sergeant who had run NCO clubs for 17 years.  Snelling said that the place was called Nando’s because two of the women who operated the picnic grounds before were named Nancy and Dorothy.

Snelling transitioned the venue into a night club that featured the Hall Brothers Jazz Band on Friday and Saturday nights, although picnics were still held there.

Will Jones turned his attention to Nando’s in his Tribune column of August 16, 1960, thank goodness.

His physical description was:

Down a long, dusty lane into the woods, then into a clearing, then into the place itself, a big room with bare wood walls, burlap tacked to the rafters and kerosene lanterns for lights.

Ouch.  Sounds like a fire waiting to happen.

And it did.

Terry B. says:

It burned down around 1961 or 1962. Now there is the CR 77 bridge that crosses over the original site of the place. I have been looking for along time for information about this place. I hope someone out there can shed some light on the history and the owners. I heard a long time ago that there were some Minneapolis wrestlers involved in the ownership or management of it.

Over email comes Denise, who says,

I grew up on Old Shakopee Rd across the street from the driveway to Nando’s Hideaway. The Brett family’s house was next to the driveway. I was childhood friends with the Brett kids and went to school with them. They told me there grandparents owned Nandos Hideaway. After it burned down we used to go play down there in the burned ruins.

Anyone know any other pieces of the Nando’s puzzle? Contact me!