Wes Burdine is a musician, editor, technical writer, and football enthusiast.
You’ll soon be able to add bar owner to his resume. Burdine, who chronicles Minnesota United FC’s exploits on the FiftyFive.One podcast, is buying the Town House Bar at 1415 W. University Ave., a few blocks from his home and near St. Paul’s future Major League Soccer stadium.
Burdine said he plans to rename it the “Black Hart of St. Paul” and give the popular bar a slightly more sports theme in the coming months, but “it’s definitely not going to be a sports bar. It’s going to have a kind of eclectic North Woods vibe. … There won’t be any major renovations.”
Holly Monnett had owned the townhouse for more than 40 years and was looking to sell it to a local buyer, Burdine said.
“There had been a lot of offers to tear it down and turn it into a Dairy Queen or something,” said Burdine, who had been looking at every bar in Midway looking for the right location, “and I called her and she said that was the phone call I’d been waiting for.”
He’ll even be broadcasting his FiftyFive.One podcast from the bar during the World Cup in June. He hopes to close the sale the week of June 11.
One thing that won’t go away is the gay-friendly vibe. As much as bingo and wine giveaways, the Town House has generated a following for its drag competitions, themed karaoke nights and the big-screen broadcast of VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
That content will continue, Burdine said, although it will be less present because of the overlap with football games and broadcasts.
“We will continue to cater to the LGBTQ+ community as a priority, including many of the regular events that exist,” Burdine said. “This is the oldest gay bar in St. Paul, and it’s important to me that we don’t change that and that it remains a place for the people who have been a place for a long time.”
The Town House’s evolution is just the latest change in the University Avenue bar scene. Facing disciplinary action from the city after a series of clashes with police, Hot Rods Bar and Grill recently closed its doors a block away at 1553 University Ave. W., and the building was put up for sale.
Arnellia’s, a jazz bar located at 1183 University Ave. W., recently ended its 25-year run, closing its doors following the death of its owner.
Additionally, Tracks Bar has closed its doors at the Days Inn Motel at 1964 University Ave. W. and moved to Rice Street. The University Avenue space is up for lease.
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About nine blocks south of University and Snelling avenues, O’Gara’s Bar recently announced it would downsize, removing the bar space to add housing above a new mixed-use building.
Minnesota United is about halfway through construction of the $200 million stadium, which will open to about 20,000 fans within a year.
