Modesto’s iconic Minnie’s Bar closing after 65 years; will reopen as new dance club
After 65 years of bringing tiki-themed delights to Modesto, Minnie’s is closing its doors.
The iconic McHenry Avenue bar’s new owner, who took over from longtime family ownership two years ago, said Sunday will be its last day operating as Minnie’s. The plan is to then do some updating and reopen after a few weeks as Splash Bar, part of its new management’s existing brand of nightclubs in Sacramento, San Jose and Reno.
Sacramento-based owner TJ Bruce and his Splash Bar, Inc., took over from Stuart Mah at the start of 2018. Mah’s family had run Minnie’s as a Chinese restaurant and tiki bar since 1962, when they bought the business from original owners Hop Louie and his wife Minnie Woo — the spot’s namesake.
Bruce has run nightclubs in the region for more than two decades, and his other current clubs include Badlands in Sacramento and Splash Video Dance Bar in San Jose and Reno, which all cater to a largely LGBTQ clientele. His plan from the outset had been to convert the business into more of a dance club like his other properties, but he said he wanted to give the Minnie’s name a shot.
“We ran it as Minnie’s these past two years, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the business,” he said. “You have your new crowd that’s really excited about (the changes). But then people who have grown up with the space have nostalgic memories of it. But nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills. That’s the truth of the matter.”
Since 2018, Bruce and his team have slowly been making changes to the much beloved local hangout. That includes adding regular drag shows and putting pool tables in the dining room area.
Then about a year ago, to the chagrin of many regulars, Minnie’s kitchen was closed. Bruce said needed improvements and repairs required to bring the kitchen up to code for the health department were simply too expensive. His other nightclubs also do not serve food. But since the kitchen closed, Minnie’s has had a regular taco vendor on site during the weekends, and Bruce intends to keep that going and possibly expand its outside food options.
During its temporary closure, which is expected to last about three weeks, Bruce and his team plan to do some painting and cleanup. Additional changes will be made throughout the year as they update and renovate the space.
Tiki theme staying
But, the site’s tiki look will not be changing. Bruce said much of its existing theme fits in with the Splash Bar concept.
“We like that it’s kitschy, and tiki is a fun thing for bars,” he said.
So expect the large wooden tiki-head totems outside to remain in place, as will much of the interior and exterior look — save for some painting and needed updating. They plan to install a dedicated dance floor in the half-partitioned space in front of the bar area, as well as more video screens throughout.
The bar’s signature velvet paintings of nude Polynesian women were taken down after it was sold, as were its large fish tanks. But Bruce said he still has them and they may make a reappearance in the new Splash Bar.
But all those old dollar bills that have lined the bar’s walls for decades are coming down. Bruce said customers will be invited to take one this weekend as a souvenir.
The new Splash Bar will have drag shows every Friday night as well as themed nights for karaoke, throwback nights and more. The weekends will have video DJs spinning music.
The bar currently has a small staff of about five, including a few employees left over from the Mah family’s days. Bruce said he isn’t sure how or if staffing will change moving forward.
Another thing that will change is Minnie’s hours, which had for years been open all day starting at 10 a.m. Anyone who has ever dropped into Minnie’s over the years knows you could find folks bellied up to the bar at all hours of the day, which was part of its charm.
The new Splash Bar will have more traditional bar hours, opening at 4 p.m. daily with a happy hour and closing around 1 a.m.
The two-story building at 107 McHenry Ave. has had a colorful history through the years on its way to becoming a true Modesto institution. According to Modesto Bee archives, it was built in the early 1910s as a six-room bungalow family home, and remained a private residence until about 1940. Then it was a boarding house, doctor’s office and tea room until it was purchased by the Minnie’s founders in 1954 and opened a year later.
But don’t worry, Minnie’s diehards, they’re keeping the Jerk, the dangerously strong pink blended rum drink that has become not only a Minnie’s signature but a Modesto favorite. Local legend has it that the cocktail was created by the late Peter Mah, Stuart’s brother, to silence some obnoxious customers — hence its name.
“Absolutely, the Jerk will still be there,” Bruce said. “You gotta carry on some of the tradition.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 4:41 PM.
