Gulden’s Restaurant and Bar was located at 2999 Highway 61 in Maplewood.

Thanks to the fine folks on Facebook for bringing this venue to my attention!

Gulden’s was started in 1934 by the Gulden family.   A news article said that the second owner was the Biggs family, but no years were noted.

The club went through several names.

GULDEN’S 19th HOLE TAVERN:  1952 – 1954

This seems to be the first name for the place, named for its location across the highway from the Keller Golf Course.  It was a “bottle club,” where members brought their own spirits and had lockers to keep them there.  The place had no liquor license.

CLUB SUBURBAN:  1958 – 1963

Donald V. Gulden was in the group receiving the first on-sale liquor licenses in the Village of Maplewood in June 1960.  By this time it was in its Highway 61 location, perhaps three miles from the original 19th Hole.  In October 1960 it was allowed to operate on Sundays.  Don Gulden owned until at least 1963.

GULDEN’S PIED PIPER:  1966 – 1968

Gulden’s Pied Piper Restaurant shows up in May 1966.   On July 22, 1968, the Pied Piper suffered $100,000 worth in fire damage to its one-story brick and stucco building.

GULDEN’S SUPPER CLUB:  1977 – 1984

Another fire hit the Gulden’s Supper Club on July 26, 1983, again causing $100,000 in damage.  50 Maplewood firefighters took four hours to put out the blaze, and the State Highway Patrol had to close Highway 61 during the morning rush hour to accommodate the fire apparatus.

Its third and final owners were Mike and Brenda Gengler, who bought it in 1990.  (Doyle Biggs was a co-owner in 1993.)

GULDEN’S ROADHOUSE:  1990 – 2002

The Totally Bonkers Comedy Club rotated through the Roadhouse during 1991 – 1992.

1993:  Karaoke Bar

GULDEN’S RESTAURANT:  2008 – 2016

GULDEN’S RESTAURANT AND BAR:  2015

 

Mike Gengler died of cancer on March 8, 2018, and his wife Brenda ran it by herself for a while.  The building was purchased by Toyota, and the restaurant closed on March 11, 2020, unrelated to the Covid shutdown.