Freddie’s was located at 605 Second Ave. So. (Lewis Building) in Minneapolis.  It seems to have had many ups and downs and changes of format.

Freddie’s opened in 1934 and in the ’30s and ’40s it hosted Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, and Count Basie.

1948 ad said Freddie’s was for Epicures: “If you are particular about what and where you eat, make it a date at Freddies… where choice foods are prepared and served.”

In 1959 Pete Karalis, who had owned the Cotton Club in St. Louis Park, bought it  and brought in big time jazz.  A blurb in an article by Cedric Adams on April 13, 1959, says “Freddie’s Cafe [was] rapidly becoming the jazz center of town.”  Jazz performers included:

• Ella Fitzgerald
• Gene Krupa
• Ahmad Jamal.
• George Auld
• Dorothy Donegan (April 20, 1959)
• Barbara Carroll (May 4, 1959)
• Carmen Cavarello (July 1959)

On April 13, 1959, Minneapolis Star columnist Cedric Adams mentioned that a new room was being built around the corner at 211 So. Sixth Street.  When that opened it would be inaugurated  by the Oscar Peterson Trio.

Jack Teagarden did a remote on KSTP radio with Leigh Kamman on May 31, 1960.

In February 1963 Karalis still owned it but it was going broke.

In 1964 Stebbins noted “This night club has since abandoned all musical entertainment.”