Stuff about Minneapolis

Fire Destroys Historic Restaurant

A restaurant that has been a Hugo landmark for more than 100 years is considered a total loss after a fire Sunday morning.

The fire started at Carpenter’s Steak House on Forest Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, destroying the 119-year-old business.

Local say the restaurant was “Old Minnesota” at its best. “Carpenter’s has had an historic presence for a long, long time,” said Hugo Mayor Fran Miron.

We were driving into Hugo late this morning to visit friends and could see a huge plume of smoke fill the air from an area off Hwy 61. I even said to my wife “Uh-Oh, that looks like it’s coming from Carpenter’s”. Sure enough we got to our destination and word was already out that it was Carpenter’s that was on fire. From talking to our friends who all live in Hugo, the building was slated to be torn down sometime soon as part of a redevelopment project along that part of 61.

I will say I am pretty sad to see this happen. Carpenter’s was known for their steaks, and we have eaten there a handful of times over the years, and the food was always very good. Hopefully we will find out soon if they will be able to rebuild.

Photo courtesy of Hugo resident Matt Reicher