Toasty’s (Duluth, Minnesota)

 restaurant, bar

Built in 1907, likely as a corner store last known as Chet's, this building has housed several businesses since Chet's closed it's doors in the 1980s.

First to take over was 8th Street Video on 9th Street, (which had moved from a building on East 8th Street that's also home to VIP Pizza, hence the name). 8th Street Video on 9th Street was owned by a slightly eccentric character by the of named Steve Lichterman. Along with his father Phil, they tended to showcase lesser known movie titles, seemed to always remember a name, and when asked if any movies were good, he'd proclaim "They're all good." After many years, the video store changed owners, (likely after his father, Phil, passed away). The new owners turned the video store into a more mainstream business featuring big named movie titles and adding more amenities, like selling ice cream, or adding vending machines outside. Thanks in part to online streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, and easy self serve options like Redbox, the era of video stores started coming to a close, and 8th Street Video on 9th Street was no exception, and it too closed sometime in 2011.

For a short time, the building became a coffee house called MeanBeans. Currently it will soon be home to a new a small restaurant (and possible bar), called Toasty's, which will focus on serving sandwiches and organic food options.

Some past history, in 1952 it was listed in city directory Grocers section simply under Frank J Hurley.