Forum Cafeteria (Minneapolis) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forum Cafeteria |
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The Saxe Theater in 1914, a decade and a half before it became the Forum (for which the exterior remained mostly unchanged)
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| General information | |
| Address | 36 South 7th Street |
| Town or city | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
The Minneapolis Forum Cafeteria was a very cool building. It was located at 36 South 7th Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This building has a fascinating history. It started as a theater and later became a cafeteria. The cafeteria was famous for its amazing Art Deco design. This special building was even saved from being torn down!
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A Building with a Story
From Theater to Cafeteria
The building first opened way back in 1914. It was originally a movie theater. It was known as the Saxe Theater. Later, it was called the Strand Theater. In 1930, the building changed a lot. It was rebuilt to become the Forum Cafeteria.
The inside of the cafeteria was truly stunning. It had a beautiful Art Deco style. You could see shiny black onyx and pale green tiles. There were fancy lights called sconces and chandeliers. Many mirrors made the space feel big and bright. The decorations had a special Minnesota theme. You could spot pine cones, waterfalls, and even Viking ships in the designs!
Saving a Beautiful Design
The Forum Cafeteria closed its doors in August 1975. This happened because fast food places became very popular. The building was then in danger of being torn down. But people wanted to save its unique style.
On March 16, 1976, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This helped protect it. Just three months later, the old Forum reopened. It became a disco nightclub called Scottie's on Seventh. It kept the cool Art Deco look of the Forum.
Later, the building was again threatened. A big project called the Minneapolis City Center was planned. Developers wanted to demolish the building. But people who cared about history went to court. The court ordered the developers to save the Art Deco interior. They had to carefully take apart 3,500 pieces of glass. Then, they had to put the whole design back together. This happened in a brand new space.
What's There Now?
The amazing Art Deco interior was moved. It found a new home at 18 South 7th Street. Scottie's on Seventh reopened there in 1983. However, it closed down in 1985.
Since then, several restaurants have used the space. These include the Paramount Cafe and Mick's. Goodfellow's was there from 1996 to 2005. Then came a restaurant simply called The Forum. Most recently, Il Foro opened in June 2015 but closed in May 2016. In 2018, a new restaurant called Fhima's opened. It serves French-Moroccan inspired food. The beautiful Art Deco interior continues to be enjoyed by many people today.
