Dinner Break! - Anoka Perkins! Side of Pizza! and J.A.C. Auto!

I started this story in August of 2022, right after I took most of these photos. After I edited these images and outlined how I wanted the story to go, I stopped working on it. Recently, I found out the old Anoka Perkins had been demolished. Well, that rekindled interest in going back to writing this story...

Not long after the Anoka Perkins closed (on October 20, 2019), I found it in an online commercial real estate listing. Which even included a 3D virtual tour, which I quite enjoyed looking through. So, for a time it looked like they were somewhat interested in leasing, or outright selling the building.

Looks like they gave up on that idea.

I went back to the Anoka Perkins on August 14, 2022. But we'll get there in a bit. That wasn't the goal of this day, just as a stop on a more dedicated photo mission. A friend tipped me off that J.A.C. Auto, in Ramsey, had recently been boarded up, and may be gone soon. 

Say no more!

That weekend I set out on that near 20 mile, grueling round trip drive to the west.

Meaning I will have to navigate the Highway 10 construction to get there and back. Just as you enter Anoka, the cones start funneling traffic down to one lane. At 7th Avenue, they start the merge over to the eastbound side. Leaving single lane traffic through the rest of Anoka and into a bit of Ramsey. Taking over two years to complete, this is quite an ambitious project by the state.

One of the first key focus areas along the westbound route is replacing the 4th Ave Bridge, and removing the old railroad bridge directly behind it. As well as replacing the bridge crossing the Rum River.

4th Avenue Bridge in November, 2017.

You can see all three of those bridges in this picture. 

Highway 10 will be widened through Anoka, including the Main Street interchange, allowing access to Anoka Perkins. Which was still open and pretty busy on November 5th, 2017. Less than 2 years later, it was closed for good. We'll stop and look on our way back, when it's 2022 out. Because back in 2017, The Namer of this Blog and I were on our way to...

"Take me to something abandoned!"

Saxon Motors in Elk River! 

Don't forget it's sequel, Saxon Motors 2: The Wrath of Flar!, from August, 2021.

But in 2022, a portion of Highway 10 was in the process of being elevated. Which will allow cross streets to travel underneath the highway. Creating an expressway to keep traffic moving through the city, instead of the massive delay caused by traffic lights, every 2,000-3,000 feet. 

A brief look at the early stages of elevating the road, at Highway 10 & Thurston Avenue.

When The Namer of this Blog and I drove by in 2017, the northwest corner of this intersection had a parking lot, leading up to what was once the Vineyard restaurant. Where you can buy $99 in gift certificates for only $75. Give the gift of fine food and fine company at the Vineyard. (Yeah, it went something like that). Other than their annual X-mess ad campaign, with video of Prime Rib being sliced in slow motion, I don't remember much else about the Vineyard.

Never ate there.

And now you can't either.

A few blocks west of the Vineyard's grave was a long abandoned Total Gas station. We stopped there and took some pictures of the building and property. Both in 2017 and once again in 2019. This is another of the places I have a story planned, but haven't gotten around to writing yet. 

The city border of Anoka and Ramsey is right around this general area. So I'm getting really close to my goal!

A block or so before Sunfish Lake Boulevard, sits J.A.C. Auto, on the south side of the highway. Since there's no access from the westbound lane, I have to drive past it and access it via the next block to the south. 

As long as I'm in the area, I needed a photo of Super Bowl. Pretty sure I've bowled here at some point. Probably about 20 years ago now. Today it served the purpose of providing a place to turn around and go the opposite way. 

To the road leading the small cluster of buildings that made up J.A.C. Auto.

Okay well, I wont be here long. And it's a Sunday morning, so I doubt there's anyone in the offices of the Anoka County Transportation Division, to take my call. I wont tell if you don't tell.

Besides driving by it for years and only occasionally noticing it, I know nothing about J.A.C. Auto. I don't know when it closed, but if the weeds growing through the driveway cracks means anything, it's probably been a while.

The house is pretty overgrown as well.

Thank you arrow, I never would have imagined the back door being at the back of the house!

And there it is!

Not a whole lot to see here now, but I highly doubt these structures ever see a commercial or residential use again. This has to be a valuable piece of property, which only increases after all of that Highway 10 construction has been finished. 

So goodbye, J.A.C. Auto. Thanks for the crystal clear label scar, so we can all remember your name.

Wish I could've seen it before the plywood covered up anything inside. I bet there was some cool stuff to look at behind those dusty windows.

Oh well... Time to merge my way into the single lane of eastbound traffic, back into Anoka. I need some coffee and a Mammoth Muffin.

Since driving west, that long abandoned Total gas station has been converted into Indigo Motors. Luckily, Traffic was stopped and backed up from Thurston Ave, so I was able to focus through the visual barricade, between the lanes.

The Anoka water tower looms ominously between the trees.

After 47 days to drive about 3 blocks, I finally made it up to the intersection of Hwy 10 & Thurston Avenue. To my right is the new elevated highway going in.

Back in November, 2017, this area of Highway 10 had this broken up and overgrown driveway, leading to nothing. There used to be a small, 1940's era 5 or 6 room motel on this land. This used to be the west end entrance. It fronted the motel and exited back onto Highway 10, before it crossed Thurston Avenue. 

I don't remember when it closed or was demolished, but I'm sort of sure the building was still standing in 2012. Weather it was open or not, I cannot say.

A few blocks east of Thurston, is Fairoak. Avenue. Which the next intersection in this segment of Highway 10 that backs up terribly due to the stoplights.

Unfortunately, Wright Tire was Eminent Domained into closing their long time business, on the southeast corner of Highway 10 and Fairoak. This land was needed to rework the intersection, and agreement to vacate couldn't be reached, you know how that goes...

Coincidentally, the same reader that provided the J.A.C. Auto tip, had also clued me in on Wright Tire, back in the Spring of 2021. I'll have to write that story out one of these days.

But for now, let's go to Anoka Perkins!

To offer a little perspective... ENHANCE!

Under the Bridgestone Wright Tire sign, you can kind of see the Taco Bell sign. With the Royal Crown Construction sign, and the skeleton of the old Anoka Perkins sign, coming up from behind.

Here's that skeleton of the old Anoka Perkins sign, in August, 2022. My car is on the outskirts of the lot, as to avoid the seniors and/or inside of oversized pick up trucks, backing in and out of all the closer parking spots.

When I wrote my first story about Anoka Perkins, it was shortly after it closed. (Boothrotting No More, written between October 2019 and January 2020.) The subject matter I focused on then, was more on the "Celebration of Life" side of things. Remembering the place with some personal stories of my friends and my own, of the restaurant over the years. 

What I saw today was probably the last time I'd see the building. It was getting bad, and would be getting a lot worse. Anoka Perkins was already outdated, now it was starting to rot.

Road Closed is an understatement. A few feet beyond that sign is a really big hole. 

Which replaced the several thousand potholes that lined the old Main Street Service Road.

It had been 33 months since I took my pictures for the previous Anoka Perkins story. And it was definitely looking about 3 years sadder by this point. Nothing too bad, but definitely showing age and neglect. For reference, I'm going to start at the front door, and follow the building counter-clockwise.

Someone left Perkins a tire.

That was nice.

That sign has gotten a little wrinklier during that time. 

As I approached the building, I found that the windows were actually less covered than they were in 2019. Back then, I wasn't able to take many interior shots through the windows...

Today, I was!

Uh-oh! The roof had leaked over the host/waiting area. I've yet to figure out what those blurry plops are on the floor. And I'm pretty sure that's some mold growing up the bakery counter. 

So depressing and sad...

And it looked so cheerful and happy on July 5th, 2018!

Looking into the main seating area, non-smoking up front, smoking in the back.

Until that was taken away...

All of the tabletops and chairs had been removed, almost immediately after the restaurant closed.

I'm sure they still had value to the franchise as spare parts. 

Hey... Uh... That cup is empty...

The last time I was inside the Anoka Perkins, was July 5th, 2018. I came up here with (The Artist Formerly Known As) Freelance Dan, for coffee and a Mammoth Muffin. We sat in the booth next to that collapsed ceiling tile. Looks like some significant water has spilled onto the carpet. There's a good amount of mold growing around the floor.

With significant leaks in the roof, both here and in the lobby, it's reasonable to presume the roof has leaked in other places around the building. In areas that can't be seen through the window.

Kitchen? Storage? Restrooms? Who knows what's growing back there...

They took the tabletops, but left all of the bases? As I mentioned, many of the shades were opened now, so I was able to navigate the bushes to get a few pictures of inside the atrium, this afternoon. 

Looking in towards the bakery case.

Looking behind me, at the roundabout going in at the Highway 10 on and off ramps. Knowing how Minnesotans drive and react to stuff like this, I don't see this ending well...

Note the old Perkins Giant American Flag Spotlight, planted in the ground.

Just a few feet away from the porta-potty.

Looking towards the smoking section. 

Until that was taken away...

Looking back down the atrium. I forgot there was a shovel parked ominously, not far from the building. Love the table stands waiting patiently in the corner. I wonder why they weren't kept with the tabletops? Surely they had value as a set?

The four windows on the north side of the building still had the shades pulled down, so I couldn't get a picture through those. But I was more than happy with what I was able to get. Wasn't expecting open shades at all today.

I continued my way around the back of the building...

Wow. Actually got a little choked up when I saw this.

For as long as I can remember, my traditional goodbye to friends and co-workers has always been: "Have fun!"

And someone spraypainted that sentiment on the Anoka Perkins, behind the stone ashtray.

Damn.

A new tenant for this building was always going to be a stretch. With the massive 2+ year highway construction project going on out front (starting in mid-2021), no one was going to open a business here. After all of the improvements to the area are finally completed, the building itself is worthless. The smart thing to do would have always been: buy low, wait, demolish, wait, wait some more, custom build whatever. With the option to sell for increasing profits, open at any point along that chain. 

Just smart business!

Next door to Perkins was Royal Crown Construction. If it wasn't completely apparent, this used to be a Pizza Hut. They closed in the early 2000's, and it became a medical office. After that ended, Royal Crown Construction took the building. Don't know who was resposible for painting it "Skull Crushing Teal". 

Although the top was removed from the room when Pizza Hut left, you can still see plenty of classic Hut from the street. Those trapezoid shaped windows offer a big hint.

Back when the Pizza Hut top was still on the roof, July 1998.

Pizza Hut's Priazzo Roma Pie Commercial, 1985?

I never ate a Piazzo Roma Pie, but when I think of Anoka Pizza Hut, this commercial always plays in my head. It sounds really good. And this was back when Pizza Hut used actual food to make their food.

You're welcome.

Now go dig up your old recipes, so you're worth buying again. 

I'm not sure if Royal Crown Construction was still doing business here or not, when I came by. From what I saw from a distance, it looked like they may have been. So I didn't take any window interior shots.

Bribery isn't going to cut it Dawn M. George...

Looks like someone forgot to redeem it... I could actually go for a free medium of even a terrible pizza right about now. Even from the Tuh, if they want to bring it right to my desk. Pizza Hut's product is terrible. Has been for at least 25 years. Which would have been after this coupon expired. The food was still pretty good in 1992. Though it went downhill fast and was hot garbage, by the time I was delivering for the Englewood, Colorado, Tuh, between 1997 and 2000. 

I like that even through it's life as a medical office and a construction company, neither of them removed the old Pizza Hut drive through window. Some great out of control weeds going on here.

I found this in a box of stuff taken from my parents house, after the 2020 fire.

Doubtful I'd ever write another story where it was more appropriate.

There's a few extra Road Closed signs between Royal Crown Cola and Taco Bell.

Just in case you need one. 

The existing Taco Bell at this address was closed and demolished a few months before I came through the area. This new one was quickly built in it's place. If you're going to do this with your business, it makes sense to do it during a period when the road in front of your store is a giant hole in the ground.

I don't eat at Taco Bell. It's more of that cheap non-food, Yum Brands has convinced people is acceptable. 

Looks like they're getting somewhat situated in their new building. The power is turned on and equipment is coming in and getting where it needs to be. 

That's so uninteresting...

I continued my walk down what was left of the Main Street Service Road, towards Fairoak Avenue. 

Wright Tire would have been in the left center of this picture, were it still here. A temporary road was put in right through where the building was once standing. The intersection appeared to have been moved up 500 or so feet. Allowing the space needed for the elevated portion of new Highway 10. Which is starting to appear, on the right side of the picture. 

Dueling cranes putting in the new overpass.

Walking back up what was left of the Main Street Service Road, towards Anoka Perkins and my car. 

Sigh...

My last stop on my drive home was the 4th Ave Bridge.

Where I parked in front of the Road Closed / Summer Camp Enter Here sign. 

Someone doesn't like Minneapolis! 

One of the heavily tagged construction trailers referenced the Bird Aren't Real parody.

Which is a fascinating story if you haven't followed it. 

Looking east down the Highway 10 corridor. 

The new 4th Ave Bridge, crossing Highway 10, being put together. This new bridge will handle both vehicular traffic, and pedestrian traffic that used to cross over the rusty old railroad bridge.

Meanwhile, back in November, 2017... 

After taking photos of Saxon Motors and dinner at Jellybean and Julia's, The Namer of This Blog and I, walked the bike path from the Anoka Grain Silos, up to Highway 10. Not that many years ago (well into the 1980's), a rail line used to branch off from the main BNSF line to the north, cross both 4th Avenue and Highway 10, in this general area, and extend towards downtown Anoka, following the Rum River. After the tracks were removed, it was converted to a walking/bike path. The original route of the railroad tracks wont be followed any longer, as the new path will move over slightly to use the new 4th Avenue bridge.

Standing on the old railroad bridge in 2017, looking west down Highway 10, across the Rum River. This bridge will be replaced over the span of two years. Westbound lanes in 2022, Eastbound lanes in 2023.

So let's go down and take a look!

Whenever I'm walking around areas like this, I like to keep an eye out for interesting litter along the way.

Though this is more litter than interesting.

The 4th Avenue bridge, from the hill between that and the Rum River.

I'd say that looks pretty involved.

Okay, it's time to go back up the hill and to my car.

Say... What's that?

Yeah, I know what it is.

But I'd really like to know the story behind it showing up here.

On a hill, in the middle of a freeway bridge construction.

Did it come from one of the workers?

******

I thought about coming back to check up on the Anoka Perkins, all throughout the winter. But with the amount of snow we had this year, it would have been pointless at the time. No one was plowing their parking lot, let alone shoveling around the building for me. I still planned on going this spring, because what I saw in August, 2022, looked so bad. It had to have gotten much worse given the weight of all that snow, dumped on an already leaky roof. 

Unfortunately, time got away from me.

I found out that Anoka Perkins had been demolished on May 11, 2023. 

Since I didn't get any pictures of it happening, as much as I would have loved to, I'm going to forever swear that Anoka Perkins was actually destroyed by the T-12 Scrambled!

That's tremendous!

A few days later, I made it up to the old Anoka Perkins site, to snap a few pictures of anything left. That's when I found out that Royal Medical Pizza Crown Office Hut Construction was also demolished along with it. Both lots scraped down to the dirt.

Highway 10 construction, like progress, continues on in the distance.

You too, Anoka Perkins.