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In 1937 two entrepreneurs from Saint Paul, Bertil Mattson and David “Mickey” Crimmins went to the National Restaurant Convention in Chicago and were impressed at what they saw at the Jerry O’Mahoney Company exhibit. The company operating out of Elizabeth, New Jersey was quite a manufacturer in its day. From 1913 to 1956 it turned out countless replicas of railroad dining cars shipping them throughout the country, making the diner an important part of Americana and a comfortable and relaxed place to eat. It rightfully earned the reputation as “The Cadillac of Diners.” Bertil and Mickey were sold on the idea and ordered a custom-built diner complete with counter, booths, kitchen and jukeboxes. There even was, built into the stainless steel wall, a cigarette vending machine, a terrific amenity for the late 1930s but a “no no” in the smoke free years of the 21st century. They named the diner Mickey’s after partner Crimmins. Mickey’s, decked out in a blend of yellow and red porcelain and stainless steel siding, arrived in Saint Paul in 1939 and was placed at 36 West Ninth (now Seventh) Street across from the German Catholic Church of Assumption, Saint Paul’s oldest church building. Today, like the Assumption Church, Mickey’s has become an important historic landmark and was registered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. One of the most remarkable things about the restaurant is it still sparkles factory new in all its art deco brilliance and yet nothing has been done to the exterior since it arrived, except for frequent washing and love and tender care through the years. It seems timeless despite the evolution of the city around it. In the 1950s Bertil bought out Mickey. Bertil had a good thing going and he knew it. His son Eric, who started working at Mickey’s as a teenager washing dishes and working the counter, also recognized Mickey’s as a good thing. When Bertil died in 1970, Mickey’s went to Eric. Eric in turn had three children — daughters Melissa and Amanda and son Bert (named after his grandfather). Eric brought Melissa, son Bert and his wife Julia into the business. Eric and Julia retired in 2002 and Melissa and younger brother Bert became the new operators. Eric’s touch though, is still felt. “If we have to reinvent the wheel,” Melissa says, “you call him (Eric) up and say something isn’t working and he will have three or four ways to fix it.” Melissa started as a waitress at Mickey’s before she could drive, her father would bring her in and take her home afterwards. She continued to work at the family diner while going to college. She knew her co-workers well and now knows her employees well, many of whom use to be her co-workers. Manager Mary Kiritschenko has been at Mickey’s, “longer than my brother has been alive,” says Melissa, “and knows all the customers.” And the customers know Mary. Many, who have been away, will make a special trip to Mickey’s when they return just to see Mary and say hello. When the Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas comedy Jingle All the Way was being filmed in Mary isn’t the only employee people and celebrities come to see, nor is Schwarzenegger the only celebrity to enjoy Mickey’s. Even the staff seems to fill the pull of this unique venue. Once people start to work at Mickey’s they enjoy the atmosphere and the customers, and tend to stay longer than if they worked elsewhere. The reason for this longevity could be the fact that Mickey’s hasn’t changed — downtown Saint Paul may have, but not Mickey’s. Neighboring bars and restaurants have come and gone. Movie houses have been replaced by stage plays. Buildings have been built over what was the city’s main shopping street, while other streets’ directions were changed, but the denizens of Mickey’s remain the same —diverse, interesting and friendly, making Mickey’s what it is today, a truly inviting place. People are treated as people in Mickey’s by wait staff and customers alike, be they a bank president or teller, a neighbor from a condo down the street, a factory worker or a celebrity. All who come to Mickey’s, especially the celebrities, appreciate this personal treatment. For the past two plus decades Hollywood film studios have increasingly been using the Twin Cities for movie locations. The cities are rich in live theatre; Minnesotans, like Californians, have a neutral speaking accent and the location sites are terrific and that includes Mickey’s. The unique appeal of Mickey’s has secured it a spot in several Hollywood movies, as well as forged a lasting connection to the actors of those movies. Despite the small confines of Mickey’s, the big name stars didn’t find people staring them down or whispering behind their backs or mobbing them for autographs — employees, as well as customers have treated them with classic Minnesota Nice and they seem to have genuinely enjoyed the experience. Actor Emilio Estevez and the cast of Disney’s 1996 film, The Mighty Ducks haven’t forgotten Mickey’s nor have the casts of Jingle all the Way and A Prairie Home Companion. When the PHC cast returned for the movie’s premiere at the radio show’s home, the Fitzgerald Theater, May 3, 2006, the late Director Robert Altman, actor Kevin Kline, actresses Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Lindsay Lohan and the rest of that star-studded cast, including Garrison Keillor, did make time to stop in to Mickey’s and eat and invite manager Mary, Melissa, brother Bert and the diner’s bookkeeper as special guests to the premiere and after-party at the Landmark Center. Clearly, the homey environment is hard to resist. In a testament to the low-key atmosphere, director Altman and Keillor used it as a workspace, planning their day over breakfast at Mickey’s. And on one long night of shooting in the diner, in a gesture of camaraderie, Lily Tomlin sent out for sushi to feed the actors, staff and crew. This was not a slap in the face to Mickey’s, but rather a compliment, a festive giving back of goodwill. Three years later during the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) held in Saint Paul, things were not that festive. In fact, one night outside of Mickey’s, things were downright scary. Police dressed in riot gear faced chanting protesters while teargas canisters exploded, causing people to run tearfully every which way. Melissa remembers the scary moments of the RNC well: “I was actually down the street watching what was going on down there and I saw helicopters spinning overhead and I thought I would come back and check on what was going on (at Mickey’s). As I walked to the door I saw thousands of people and they were twisting towards the door and I thought those people couldn’t fit in here. For a split second I was a little concerned because if people came in there’s no way to go.” Despite the chaos, Melissa also looks at the RNC as an interesting event: “It was kind of a once in a life time opportunity. We had a lot of reporters from all over the world sitting (in Mickey’s) right next to the protesters, sitting right next to the police.” But it’s not only political conventions, movies, friendly customers, wait staff and owners that make Mickey’s the popular diner it is. The food is reasonably priced and delicious, after all it is a restaurant. People praise the Mulligan stew, omelets, beans and, “we have our secret recipe for pancakes,” Melissa proudly adds. Melissa is also proud of a winter snow globe she bought at the Saks Fifth Avenue Store in Minneapolis that shows the landmarks of the Twin Cities. When shaken, the sites representing Minneapolis – the Foshay Tower, IDS building and the Cherry and the Spoon sculpture gracing the Walker Art Museum – can be seen through the swirling snow, while in that same blizzard, Saint Paul’s landmarks are seen as the State Capitol, the Cathedral of St. Paul and Mickey’s.
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Mickey’s Diner