Thanks to Mike’s Butcher Shop for their support. Hosting a dinner party? Simply looking for something quick and easy? From fresh cuts to grill-ready kabobs, you’ll find everything you need at Mike’s.
Here’s a look at the Perkins restaurant in 1963—then known as Perkins Pancake House—and the same spot in 2022 with the Tumble Fresh laundromat.
Perkins: 1963
The beloved community gathering spot served West St. Paul since 1962. West St. Paul developed around Perkins, with many of the surrounding businesses coming later—the Lucky China building in 1969, the offices across Emerson also in 1969, Beirut in 1972, Augustana in 1964, etc.
Redevelopment
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery closed in 2020 after the company filed bankruptcy in 2019 and began closing restaurants around the country. Linn Investments purchased the property in 2020 for $900,000 with plans for a laundromat.
The restaurant was demolished in May 2021.
While many in the community clamored for a restaurant to replace Perkins, that’s not so easy. The lot proved too small to include a restaurant and a drive thru, something many restaurants see as a necessity in today’s market.
Tumble Fresh Coin Laundry opened in late 2021.
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