Following some recent searches on Google and the site, I did some digging and found out the Majors, a long time restaurant holding at the corner of CR-42 and Galaxie is now closed in Apple Valley. Owned by Premier Restaurant Group who also owns Stella’s Fish Cafe and the Molly Cool’s Seafood Tavern chain, this location had been open for at least four years but couldn’t compete with the likes of newcomer Wild Bill’s Sports Saloon.
After seeing the searches I checked their website which is empty, their Facebook page which you can still access via Facebook search (and which is riddled with spam and has been completely unused since 2009) but accessing directly just gives you a redirect back to your main page, and their phone which was only being answered by their answering machine. I sent me wife out to check the building which was indeed closed up tight on a Friday afternoon at lunch time.
Notes on the door include:
Out of business.
Apple Valley fundraiser canceled, sorry. No notice was given. Arrived and doors were locked.
Note retirement party for Judy moved to Enjoy!
There was an important notice from Dakota Electric slid under the door but being that there were lights on inside and their answering machine picked up it appears they still have their electricity on.
I recently spoke with a local restaurant owner who mentioned that Majors Sports Cafe was not doing well with the direct competition from sports bar juggernaut Wild Bill’s. Rumor has it that Wild Bill’s is so successful that they plan to open several new locations around the metro soon. I was told Maple Grove was one of those locations. My calls to Wild Bill’s about their expansion plans, if any, were not returned.
What do you think about Majors Sports Cafe closing? It was the most successful restaurant to open up in that keystone space in the Fischer Market Place right across from the Apple Valley mayor’s home office? What positive spin will she deliver on this closure? What restaurant would you like to see take over that cavernous space? Whatever you have to say about Majors in Apple Valley closing go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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October 1st, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Not surprised at all. That location smelled of stale cigarettes and beer. Sorry, it was never pleasant to go to dinner there. Sad that the space is vacant–hopefully not for long and with a good place. Haven’t been to Wild Bills yet but it is ALWAYS busy! Good for them!
October 1st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
It was better as the Pickled Parrot. Mmm…lobster tacos. Major’s sucked.
October 1st, 2010 at 2:07 pm
WOW – I guess that I am not surprised. It was the hot spot until Wild Bill’s opened up. Husband and I went there this summer for beers and appetizers. The food was terrible. I did like sitting out on their deck on a nice day. What could go in that space and do well????? I liked it when it was Bilimbi Bay. Those fish tacos were to die for….
October 1st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
This is great news! I dislike Majors with a passion. The food was bad, but the service was worse and I simply could not get over how rude they were at Majors. While I want businesses in my community to be successful, Majors was not one of them.
October 1st, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I never tried it, but like lefty I still miss the Parrot, even though I only made it there once.
That location certainly seems to be a bad one for restaurants, but I’m not sure why other than that there’s just strong competition in the immediate area. I’ll be very curious to see what ends up there.
October 1st, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Maybe this is blow back from the zander-gate (fake walleye) uncovered in 2004.
The Majors in Golden Valley closed a few months ago too.
October 1st, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Majors in Bloomington was replaced by Poor Richards Commonhouse (still owned by Premier Restaurant Group) but the way this place closed I have a feeling they won’t be opening under a new name owned by the same group.
October 1st, 2010 at 4:13 pm
We were at wild bills yesterday and they confirmed the MG locale.
October 1st, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Although I’m in that area all the time, I’ve never been to any of the restaurants that have been in that location so I can’t say I’m sad it is closed. But I don’t like shuttered buildings in my neighborhood so I’ll say that I want a 5 Guys Burger joint to open up there so I can try them.
October 1st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Good riddance. Terrible food and awful service. I’m actually surprised they lasted as long as they did. It was hardly an asset to the community.
October 1st, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Congrats to dm on comment #500!
October 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm
[...] This location is now closed! [...]
October 2nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I used to enjoy going to Damons in Inver Grove Heights to watch football or play trivia (4 screens) and eat some pulled pork sandwiches. Not the greatest cuisine by any means or even the best pulled pork, but it was good enough for me.
Then the company, which counts locations in Wisconsin, Michigan and points east, left Minnesota, and sold their restaurants to whomever owns Majors. I found this out a few years ago … maybe as many as 5 y ears ago … when I went to Damons and found it wasn’t Damons anymore. I didn’t go home but instead stayed to try it out.
I didn’t like it. The menu went slightly upscale (and up-price) and they messed with the TV experience. Specifically, they had taken out the little adjustable speakers that you could use to switch the audio at your table from screen 1 to screen 2, etc. Maybe they put then back in but I thought that was the stupidest thing they could have done. … Oh yeah, I didn’t like the service, either. WAY too slow.
I never went back.
It looks like other people were dissatisfied as well, though not necessarily for the same reason.
October 4th, 2010 at 9:58 am
The one in IGH is terrible. I agree with J, they really ruined that place after they bought it from Delmon’s. Good riddance if that one closes.
October 4th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I’d suggest that Wild Bill’s was the nail in the coffin, and that the target clientele got split out to the like of Panino Brothers, as well. I have no data to back this up, but Panino Bros. is busy 7-days/week and it a top choice for cheap cocktails at 10 pm.
October 4th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
It wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t have many complaints about the place. It just was low on the list of places we would visit. Food never struck me as amazing, about average. I’m happy for Wild Bill’s, I was pretty skeptical at first because Grizzlies was such a deadzone. Good too see something succeed in that place. Hopefully some new and fun comes in and occupies the Major’s space, along the lines of Jake’s perhaps, which I enjoy.
October 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Majors was a fun place to hang out and I never had any problems with them. I agree it wasn’t the greatest but Wild Bill’s is no better. If your not 21-25 don’t even bother showing up past 10 PM cause your NOT welcome. They have bouncers that will harass you and the service sucks. Went twice and didn’t like it either time and now I’m done with them. They are just like the rest of bars, they are in today and will be out tomorrow when the next best place rolls into town.
November 15th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
As a bartender at Majors Apple Valley for four years I can tell you a couple of things. Premier restaurant is a complete joke and the company is in shambles. We thrived off of the late night business and the VERY impressionable young crowd late night. The food started off okay, but slowly dwindled into crap. They had incompetent managers, but overall I think we had a pretty good bar staff and a nice group of regular guests. Don’t be mistaken to think Wild Bill’s is any different. They are just the cool place to go for the douchey Apple Valley youngins to go fight and puke after 10 clock. I saw the writing on the wall long before they closed and quit, I couldn’t handle the incompetent management and ownership. However I did enjoy my time working there and miss the staff and regular guests. Bob Carlson, Ryan Wentz, and Jim O’Meara however can kiss you know what.. not that they’ll be in the restaurant business for more than another year. Blew a fuse @ Poor Richard’s huh guys?
November 15th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Ciento is closing as well. I’m just counting the minutes until that horrendous fucking Molly Cool’s is gone too.
November 16th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Is Ciento owned by the Major’s idiots as well?
There is a Major’s on 394 that turned into one of those, but the food is crap, and seriously, it is hard to fuck up Mexican food.
November 16th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Yes it is and that’s the one.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Clearly there is a problem with that location. When more than 1 resteraunt concept fails in the same location, it is telling. If they had direct access to 42 it would be much better, but the hassle to get there is not worth it IMO.
December 18th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
The Star Tribune can’t even do its research. According to a recent artlc about Majors they claim the Apple Valley location closed six months ago: http://www.startribune.com/local/south/111976014.html
Try October 1st instead. It’s not like this page isn’t the #3 hit on Google for majors apple valley or anything.
December 25th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
I first went to Majors when it first opened up in Apple Valley. I found the food to be good but the back room where were placed in was way too noisy to be enjoyable.
The next time I went the food was not near as good and found Majors to be at the bottom of my choices for a decent meal.
The last time we tried it was this past summer. The food was even worse than the last time and I knew I would never be back.
Can’t say I’m sad to see it close since it didn’t really seem to want my business anyway.
April 6th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
I’m bummed they closed, just because I loathe Wild Bill’s. They’re completely out of control, trashy, and a nest for douche baggery.
I hope whatever takes the place of Major’s will throw some major curve balls at Bill’s and ultimately steal back all the business!!!
For me, Major’s MAJOR downfall (no pun intended) was their horrible food. Ick.
*crossing fingers that Wild Bill’s will go out of business one day soon!!!!!!*
April 8th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
I read somewhere that Dickey’s BBQ is going to open an outlet in Apple Valley. I wonder if they might be going into the old Major’s space?
April 8th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
That would be a really big space compared to their BV location.
April 8th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
That’s true, I’ve been to the BV location. I wonder though, if like Famous Dave’s, they may have a couple of different store formats.
December 12th, 2011 at 6:38 am
[...] over a year ago, Majors in Apple Valley closed its doors with no notice given to staff or customers who had party reservations for that [...]