Central Minnesota Dive Bar Tales: An Ode To The Flat Iron Bar

While it certainly didn't start as a dive bar, the building it was in was neatly folded into a corner lot with a railroad track running along the back, causing the building to appear triangular.

Kelly Cordes shared back in 2018 what I think is a great statement regarding the man behind the Flat Iron. "Darrell Peterson started something that turned into something bigger than he probably ever imagined. In 1975, he introduced a sandwich called the Darrell burger at his cozy and comfortable downtown St. Cloud bar, The Flat Iron."

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If you were walking in off the street you could build your own Darrell burger or choose from several menu options. Locals flooded the Flat Iron to enjoy a good, warm sandwich that was often served with chips and signature Bazooka bubblegum on the side.

The bar closed in the 90s, but the Darrell Burger was good enough it made a comeback at another restaurant.

Another fondly remembered establishment in St. Cloud is the Flat Iron Bar. The building has been at that location since at least the 1880s and still stands today. It is the home for Flat Iron Nutrition.

Standing at 202 8th Avenue North, the building was known as the Schwegman's Cafe from at least World War II and on. It was owned by Arnold Schwegman and then later his son Donald. It changed its name sometime in 1964 to the Flat Iron, then purchased by Darrell Peterson in 1975. Peterson brought food to the bar, including the famous "Darrell Burger".

Peterson ran the bar until it closed in July 1992.

University Archives has several images of the Flat Iron, both inside and out, and includes Darrell Peterson. In addition, a few clippings from the St. Cloud Times are posted here as well, which recounts some of that history. Enjoy!

What Minnesota bar gives you a side of Bazooka bubble gum? That right there is a sign you've found the right place to settle down for an afternoon.

I learned that Darrell recently passed away, even though the building houses a different business, it still bears the name of his beloved bar, Flat Iron.

Rest Easy Darrell.

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Source: Central Minnesota Dive Bar Tales: An Ode To The Flat Iron Bar