Toni’s M & M Supper Club was located at 356 Monroe Street NE in Minneapolis.

THE BUILDING

Structures of one kind or another (ice house, smoke house, etc.) have been on this property going back to at least 1885.  The first match in the newspapers database is a John Muskola, who sold “Cold Dogs” at his grocery store and candy shop in 1922.  The place was for sale in 1924 and again in 1940, advertised as suitable for one or two stores to sell liquor.

There were two stores – one was a cafe called the Chili Bowl in 1946, and remaining a cafe until at least 1957.

The other half was a variety store, which sold its stock.

Then, the permit cards indicate that the old building – a 30 x 40 x 16, 1.5 story commercial building – was demolished in November 1970.

NEW BUILDING

The same month the demolition permit was issued, a building permit was issued for the new building.  This was a 50 x 90 x 10, 1 story restaurant and bar.

The new business would have the complicated name Toni’s M & M Supper Club, named after the owners Toni Mlekoday, and John and Jerry Mlekoday.  The ad below is one of only a few published when the business started.

 

There’s not much to know about the Supper Club – apparently nobody tried to rob it, except for once in 1974 when the Minneapolis Star called it a Night Club.  That would indicate that there might have been live music.

There was definitely live music in April 1981, when the Bees Knees showed up in a calendar of events.

In September 1982, John Mlekoday sold the business to Toni’s M & M Supper Club, Inc. for $1,000.  That would help date the artifact found by Wendy Richardson as after that year.

 

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OTHER VENUES

There were apparently other venues inside the building:

Bartylla’s shows up in December 1983, presenting music.

Phnom Penh, a Cambodian restaurant, appeared in September 1985, and food reviewer Jeremy Iggers suggested that a Cambodian musical group would be a welcome addition.

IT’S A RAID!

Toni’s (at this point often called Tony’s) was raided by the police on February 10, 1988, and had its video poker machines confiscated.  The problem was not that it was illegal to play video poker.  The problem was that it was illegal to take money instead of additional games when you won, and at Toni’s, the bartender was caught giving money to winners.  (Minneapolis Tribune, February 11, 1988)

OTHER VENUES, PART 2

Continuing with our search under the address, we find:

Mr. Gibbs M & M Supper Club (March 11, 1990)

Tony, Mouse, and McGillicuddy’s (July 10, 1993)

MOOSE ON MONROE

The building became the home of Moose on Monroe as of about June 1997.  The sign on the picture on Google Maps says Moose Bar and Grill.