Town Talk Diner becomes East Lake Street’s third historic landmark

Minneapolis’ Town Talk Diner fills the gap between two East Lake Street structures that had been standing for 40 years before Paul Pearson built his restaurant between them in 1946.

“It was probably just an alley,” said Chris Vrchota, a city planner who did the research (PDF)  on the diner leading to its designation last week as a local historic landmark. “It was kind of unique.”

Back in 1946, location was everything.

Two blocks to the west of the Diner was the Minneapolis Moline tractor factory, which was hiring the GIs returning from World War II.

East Lake Street was a busy boulevard with streetcars, buses and cars, and that may explain the need for the large sign over the tiny diner: Pearson had to attract customers.

The sign is the most significant feature of the façade, dominating half of the original storefront, according to Vrchota. The aqua-green background is covered with 13 letter boxes filled with tiny white lights and spelling out the name of the diner.

The sign is likely the reason the diner itself has survived so long, according to his report, which notes that it has never been altered and is still in fairly good condition.

At the time, it was not unusual for a business name to be designed into the exterior of the building, he said. The Foshay Tower, for example, still bears that brand near the top of what was once the tallest building in Minnesota. The Young Quinlan Building also has the company name as part of its original façade.

The Town Talk Diner façade below the lighted sign is metal and glass — in the style called Streamline Moderne — and includes vertical ribbing along one edge and smooth surfaces. There is also a built-in planter box by the door.

“It got the name as a streamlined evolution of Art Deco,” said Vrchota.  Oother examples of the style, he said, are the Uptown Theater on Hennepin near Lake Street and the Hollywood theater at 28th and Johnson Street Northeast.

The study of the property notes that the original structure appears to be unaltered and retains its integrity but has been compromised by the addition of a second floor in 2003. The report suggests that the addition diminishes the impact of the sign and façade.

The Pearson family owned and operated a number of Minneapolis restaurants, starting in 1938 with the Town Talk Café in south Minneapolis which was moved to the Town Talk Diner in 1946.

In the l950s, the family added another Town Talk Diner on Hennepin and operated Pearson’s Drive-Thru on Hiawatha and Pearson’s Restaurant at 50th and France (which closed in 2011).

The diner, which has had several owners through the years, has been closed since January 2011.  The inside of the building was not available for assessment, but a counter with stools can be seen through the windows.

East Lake Street now has three official historic landmarks. The other two are:

• The Old East Lake Street Library, near 29^th, which was the first to be designated (1997). The one-story structure, with a style described as utilitarian, has been used as commercial space.

“This is so important for maintaining the character of the Minneapolis neighborhoods,” said Council Member Gary Schiff, who represents the East Lake Street area between Chicago Avenue and the Mississippi River.

• The Sears Roebuck & Co. Mail Order Warehouse and Retail Store, which was built in 1927 fronting on Lake Street. Sears closed both businesses in 1994, and the building stood empty until 2005, when the Midtown Exchange opened.  That same year, the building won designation.

Fire Station 13, at 42nd and Cedar, is not on Lake Street but is part of the neighborhood. It was designated a historic landmark in 2003. It’s currently being used as office space.

“It was eligible because it was designed in the shape of a bungalow,” said Schiff of the station, which opened in 1923 at a time when nearly 5,000 new residential units were built in Minneapolis. The fire station closed in 1979.