Event Coverage Porkys Wake....tonight. Twin Cities MN

Some of you have seen the "Sad new for the Twin cites car scene" post some of you maybe not.

We are losing our beloved Porkys Drive In and sunday is their last day, so a few guys got together and planned out a last night at Porkys, i think it will be fun but no "hollywood Nights" !!!

5-whenever.

Theres a bunch of construction going on so its gonna be a cluster f.... but goodwill accross the street has agreed for us to be able to use there parking lots....for a donation to the Goodwill Easter Seals, so were asking $3 per car to enter the parking lot and the proceeds will go to them, its not alot to ask and will help out a ton for parking.

Well be there, we have a group of about 4-6 hot rods going.

JEFF:

 

Darn shame, for sure! I can appreciate what your doing to celebrate a great cruisin' joint. Good luck and have fun.

I cruised my '65 Bonneville there while attending the NSRA St. Paul Street Machine Nationals in 1977. I had a great time there and it will be certainly a cherished memory now that I know Porky's is closing. End of an era...

Joel

 

Leaving in a few. Feels like a little (or big) piece of me died.

 

Lots of construction, just rolled through and the food line is insane. Saw a few rods, lots of muscle..... Will remember it as it was.. Ready to make new memories with my little boy, sadly not on University.

 

sucks. I always looked forward to taking my kids there.

 

I am bumbed as well. use to go there every sat. in the mid 90's w/ friends. wanted to take my boys there just never got the chance, now never will. Took my dad there one night after the btt50's and to see the huge grin on his face made it one of the best nights ever. He use to cruise there in the 60's. Will be a sad sad day for me now. Thank God for all the memories and the poster that I bought that shows Porkies.
Matt

 

Solid Gold McDonald's in Milwaukee remodeling to a modern look and now Porky's. What is the world coming to? What's next?
Wish I could make it, I have a few good memories of the joint going back almost 15 years.

 

Hopefully somebody takes good photos to document this day.

 

The whole deal bums me out. Waited in line for 3 hours to get my final meal last night. Farewell to good memories.

 

I'm betting that if the patronage was up[ to what it is for the closing the place would still be going strong for years to come. Is this the case or just another land grab in the name of "progress"?

Frank

 

Sorry to see it close, one of the last of places like it in the twin cities.

 

One of the latest articles mentioned that Porky's ""has always been doing OK [and] was not losing money, it's just a business decision," said Nora Truelson, who began at Porky's as a carhop in 1957."

They also mention the impact of the light rail construction.

 

just got home its was crazy, non stop burnouts for like 3 hours and it was still going when we left.

Tryg wouldnt even honor my "porkys pig card" cause there were 3 stamps per card and you had to have all 6 stamps on one car, greedy fucker, couldnt even give me a free $2.00 burger with the $20 i spent on onion rings!

JEFF

 

a coupe of shitty pics

 

came out to pay my last respects. sad to see it go.
it was great for all the wrong reasons.
if i did'nt love cars so much i may be able to see why it was run out of the area.

 

Hat off giving respect to a fallen drive in. I feel bad for my Mn friends.

 

I went last night for a while, it was absolutely insane the amount of people that were there. The construction was a PITA to deal with, but after finding a spot to park and making my way to Porkys, it was a complete blast! There were lots of burn outs, people laughing and having a good time, the atmosphere screamed of how things used to be. What a way to go out, and the weather couldn't have been better! I will miss Porkys and everything that went along with it.

On a different note, what will happen to the building, everything inside of it, and the signs? Are there plans to sell/auction any of it?

 

Here are some more pics.

 

There's an online auction that starts tomorrow and one of the Minn. preservation organizations has already begun talks to see if there's any chance of saving/re-using the building.

 

Sad to see it go. As a kid it was always a good day when I got there for a burger and rings. It was closed for awhile when I lived up there last in the early eighties, but I always made time to stop when I was in town. I took Judy there in 2007 when we were up last and she wondered why there are no places like this here at home in Phoenix... Just for the same reason this closed today - PROGRESS... Seems to me about three quarters of the world needs everything to be new and shiny, never got that myself.

 

Sad day, going to miss the cars and the food. What a turn out last night, thanks to the city (cops) for not shuting down the fun like btt 50's and CC. nights. Watching the news kare 11 and there still doing burnouts at 5:00 sunday.

 

Lot of street drag racing on University Ave back in the last 60's. Spent lot of time with my Studebaker in Porky's and My Bigs near lake Phalen.

 

There was nothin' like Porky's on a hot summer weekend, it's sad to see the place go...

 

A real shame. Did anyone go to the auction? I wonder how what stuff went for..

 

where's the porky pig sign gonna end up?

its not on the auction list

http://www.auctionmasters.com/cgi-bin/mndetails.cgi?amasters7

 

So far, it's still in the Truelsons possesion as far as we know, but the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota is working hard to be sure it ends up somewhere EVERYONE can enjoy it, rather than just in someone with deep pockets garage. There is a lot of discussion going on with Episcipol Homes and the Truelsons with regards to the future of the signs, and the building and even the business. Many people are hoping to see it moved to the State fairgrounds and opened for business during the car shows and the fair. The bug has been put in all the right ears, including the Truelsons and the Fair board, so now we have to wait and see what the next move is.....

Here's a link to the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota website, and their efforts to raise money to save as much of Porky's as they can.

http://www.mnpreservation.org/2011/04/02/help-pam-pen-the-pig/

 

ok then where on the fair grounds should it go
(if purchased)

i pick up on machinery hill on the corner where WINGS sets up or kiddy corner where the 'hamburger stand used to be..
that would be close to other permanent food vendors and usable during the smaller car events on the "hill"

any where on that north east corner would be good heck it
could even be set up to be open all the time ... off Snelling

sad i guess.... that i know my way around the fairgrounds by the food stands ..
adding a true drive in/ thru to bttf's would be mucho gooder

 

My Mom was a carhop there in 1954-55, that always impressed my car buddies...she has a few good stories to tell. Unfortunately she missed out on the Porky's 50th anniversary celebration a few years back, and I was out of town for their last open weekend so I missed out bringing her down for that too. And to top it off, I just bought my first street rod, and now won't ever get to cruise there. Ahh, progress...

 

As far as im concerned its all about money for Tryg, i dont think he give a crap about the business or the cars, do you know that it was only a month away from being on endangered places list? I think thats why they closed it so fast, they just wanted to sneak in under the radar so no one could stop them, i think he never had any intention of keeping it open, he just doesnt care, as far as slow business thast BS, i would go there for lunch often and it was always busy, sure probably not as much as in the summer but thats how it works, make bank in the summer and relax a little in the winter. I think the business was in Nora's name and she didnt want to close it or anything then i think the kid got her to sign it over.

This is just my opinion, some people may agree some people may not.

And unfortunatly the fairgrounds people are a bunch of A-holes and i dont theyd ever let Porky in. They do some stupid stuff, like tear up the race track, and boot out people that have been there for years, they dont like letting the next generation of original owners kids take over the businesses in the grounds either.

I dont have much of an opinion about much, but this really ticks me off, its just another stupid generation of poeple inheriting the family business and then f.... it up.

JEFF

 

Oh and heres the Trygs business

http://www.trygs.com/

the one he cares about