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  • American Bars Obituary - Nyes Corner Bar, Minneapolis

    • 04/25/2016
    • ADB
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    What’s a Polka Band to do? 

    Apparently, the interior had not changed since the 1960s. The legendary Nye’s Polonaise in northeast Minneapolis shut its doors for good back on April 3. Half of the brick and mortar will remain and half gets pulverized for new construction. The interior goes to a high profile auction for dispersal to collectors. 

    40 members of UNITE HERE Local 17 lost their jobs. The workers, however, received a severance package, thanks to their union. “We did get them a severance package, based on longevity,” reported Martin Goff, Local 17 senior vice president. “Everybody got everything they were due contractually,” Goff added, included accumulated and unused paid time off.

    It was only when the death of the pub became final that there suddenly arose a hew and cry for the loss. The outpouring of community sentiment and nostalgia for Nye’s as the closing approached produced a flood of business for the famed piano bar and home of “The World’s Most Dangerous Polka Band.”  Yes, never underestimate a veteran polka band. They can be quite vicious. 

    The business was closed to make way for new development on the site.  The back half of the structure, The Chopin Dining Room, will be preserved as an historic structure. However, the entire interior of the bar has remained unchanged since the 1960’s and the bar itself was constructed in the early 1900s as a bar from the get-go. 

    Sadly, the community did not consider options until it was all too late. The local historic preservation groups are now desperately attempting to hold onto the ‘artifacts’ in the bar that will be scattered to collectors at an auction very soon. Part of the brick and mortar will stay, but much of it will be lost to development. Often, only a wall or two has to be preserved, essentially as a memento to the past. 

    One would think an historic bar in an historic building that is part of the community character would be sought for saving. However, progress and change move swiftly. History and heritage and preservation move slower than a bar crawl. 

    And thus, another one bites the dust. 

    American Bars salutes another bar that has left us. 

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American Bars Obituary - Nyes Corner Bar, Minneapolis

What’s a Polka Band to do? 

Apparently, the interior had not changed since the 1960s. The legendary Nye’s Polonaise in northeast Minneapolis shut its doors for good back on April 3. Half of the brick and mortar will remain and half gets pulverized for new construction. The interior goes to a high profile auction for dispersal to collectors. 

40 members of UNITE HERE Local 17 lost their jobs. The workers, however, received a severance package, thanks to their union. “We did get them a severance package, based on longevity,” reported Martin Goff, Local 17 senior vice president. “Everybody got everything they were due contractually,” Goff added, included accumulated and unused paid time off.

It was only when the death of the pub became final that there suddenly arose a hew and cry for the loss. The outpouring of community sentiment and nostalgia for Nye’s as the closing approached produced a flood of business for the famed piano bar and home of “The World’s Most Dangerous Polka Band.”  Yes, never underestimate a veteran polka band. They can be quite vicious. 

The business was closed to make way for new development on the site.  The back half of the structure, The Chopin Dining Room, will be preserved as an historic structure. However, the entire interior of the bar has remained unchanged since the 1960’s and the bar itself was constructed in the early 1900s as a bar from the get-go. 

Sadly, the community did not consider options until it was all too late. The local historic preservation groups are now desperately attempting to hold onto the ‘artifacts’ in the bar that will be scattered to collectors at an auction very soon. Part of the brick and mortar will stay, but much of it will be lost to development. Often, only a wall or two has to be preserved, essentially as a memento to the past. 

One would think an historic bar in an historic building that is part of the community character would be sought for saving. However, progress and change move swiftly. History and heritage and preservation move slower than a bar crawl. 

And thus, another one bites the dust. 

American Bars salutes another bar that has left us. 

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