Hopkins House
1501 Highway 7
Hopkins
The Hopkins House actually included three different venues, according to their matchbooks:
- The original Hopkins House, located at 1501 Highway 7 in Hopkins
- A second hotel in Golden Valley, located at 4820 Highway 55
- The Breezy Point Resort, apparently owned by the same people for a time
HOPKINS
1961
Plans for what was first dubbed the Crossroads Shopping Center were announced on April 6, 1961, in the Minneapolis Tribune. The $1.3 Million project, to be developed by the Hopkins Holding Company, was envisioned as a shopping center, motel, and restaurant on the NE corner of Highway 7 and County Road 73. The original completion date was April 1962, which was overshot by over a year. Members of the Hopkins Holding Company were named as:
- Alphonse H. Fazendin
- Robert J. Corbett
- Herbert A. Mason
- Donald F. Hagen
- Calvin Olson
On July 10, 1961, the Hopkins City Council approved a liquor license for the project; the application had been signed by the men listed above.
1962
On January 30, 1962, the Minneapolis Star reported that the motel would have 62 rooms, excavation for the motel and restaurant has been completed, and the project would be completed during the summer of 1962. Owners were named as:
- Donald F. Hagen
- Herbert A. Mason
- Alphonse H. Fazendin
- Calvin Olson
All were identified as Hopkins realtors except Olson, was identified as the manager of a Hopkins Furniture store.
At one point, one of the members of the Hopkins Holding Co. was identified as the principal of Hopkins Junior High School, Joseph Knoblauch.
The building was a 35-ft. high A-Frame, designed by Svensson-White Associates. On April 17, 1963, the Minneapolis Star reported that the main building would have three dining rooms, 64 motel rooms, a banquet and convention area that could seat 500, a swimming pool, and exhibit area. The article said that there was another Hopkins House in town that operated about 25 years ago (1938). No sign of that other Hopkins House was found in a search of the Minneapolis Star or Tribune.
1963
The Hopkins House restaurant and Motor Hotel opened on May 30, 1963. And it was a spectacular opening indeed! Big time major radio station stars did remote live broadcasts from the scene, including Steve Cannon, Marv Henry, and Don Doty. Weekend getaways, free dinners were given away. What ad copy! Each separate area was described with enthusiasm (repeated below), and the skills of chef Raymond Duffy and Continental Maitre ‘D Anton De Winter were extolled.
Hometown Hopkins girl BeBe Shopp, Miss America 1948, came back to visit to open the facility.
Venues within the hotel included:
Madiera Room
The exquisite Madiera Room was decorated in a Mediterranean motif, and Star entertainment reporter Don Morrison wrote that it was the fancier of the two main dining rooms. Entrance to the Madiera Room was over a moat, and there was a tree (real or not?) in the center.
Presumably it was here in 1965 that they had “discotheque dancing” on Tuesdays during happy hour (“Colossal Cocktail Hour”) and Wednesdays during orchestral intermissions.
Eye of the Rib
Will Jones described this as a less fancy restaurant. This is the room with the A-Frame ceiling. A 1965 ad boasted an open charcoal broiler.
“Nestled high in the A-frame is the enchantingly different Hideaway Piano Bar.”
This room later became known as the Velvet Garter Sing-a-Long Lounge
In 1967 to 1969 there was the “fun, fun Velvet Garter sing-a-long Lounge.”
Ralph Primm held forth in January to March 1969.
Rob Trebor entertained in July 1969.
In 1973 the entertainment was billed simply as the Italian Show Band.
Black Pearl Cocktail Room
The Black Pearl was a piano lounge in a very noisy space, according to Will Jones. In later years we might call it a Tiki bar. In 1963, Jones wrote that pianist Denny Miles tried lots of tricks to get his audiences’ attention.
He pours forth a steady barrage of material something like this (singing):
Double your pleasure, double your fun,
I’ll take the two dolls
You chew the gum.
When he really wants to get attention, he shines a bright flashlight into the eyes of those he wants to attract.
Minneapolis Tribune, June 10, 1863
In September 1966, La Lani brought Polynesian Interpretive Dancing to the Black Pearl to spice up your Wednesdays.
January 1969: Kaye Brothers, back that July
March 1969: Jan Ames
In June 1974, ads touted the fact that Ray Duffy was back as General Manager, and Jan Clark and the Nice Feelin’ were entertaining in the Black Pearl Lounge.
BANQUET ROOMS
A 1965 ad described two banquet rooms, each with a capacity of 75, and a Hall of Seasons Banquet Room that could seat 550. There was also a 60′ by 220′ exhibit arena (16,000 sq.ft.) with a drive-in ramp. These were beneath the ground floor service area.
MOTOR HOTEL
1963 Grand Opening description:
Then there is the tropical patio and heated pool . . . the elegant Motor Hotel rooms . . . some tastefully express the elegance of the romantic Mediterranian countries. Others, facing the pool, express the comforts and easy mood of Polynesian living!
The restaurant building was connected to the 64-unit motor hotel by a glass corridor. By 1976 there were 171 rooms.
SHOPPING CENTER
Adjacent was the Hopkins House Shopping Center, with a liquor store, convenience store, barber shop, beauty parlor, and Pure Oil gas station.
The photo below is from later years and is only of drive-by quality, but it does show the color scheme and perhaps what it looked like before it was demolished.
The Hopkins House in Hopkins was extant at least until 2001. The property appears to have been replaced
GOLDEN VALLEY
A Hopkins House – in Golden Valley? Apparently so. This Hopkins House that was not in Hopkins was new in July 1967.
The Rural English Plank ‘n’ Platter Dining Room
Ha’Penny Bar/Lounge
March 1969: Tommy Francis, Lelani
The motel had 110 rooms and a pool. The location appears to be two senior living facilities now.
BREEZY POINT, BRAINERD
The only reason I can think of as to why there was a Hopkins House in Brainerd would be that they had the same owners and they wanted to cross advertise. An ad from 1968 declares, “Now There are 3!”