Holiday Gas Station History

Love that vinyl coat story !!! Who here can remember Zayre’s Shopper City ???

The Gander that was in Fridley at the store closing is where I got my nice hunting jacket.

Francis K wrote:

Wow! Back in the day I worked at the Plymouth store and from there I learned about Bass Lake and the tremendous LM bass it holds.

Oh man! I used to catch so many big bass out of there. We used to get big Northerns, and really big sunfish too. When it rained really heavy, the bullheads would try to make their way up a culvert in the back bay we used to fish. We could go out there get hundreds of bullheads in a day.

Good times!

-Drew

I can remember driving to the Cities to shop at a huge Holiday station. I remember when Berger Bros came to Rochester….then having Gander buy it out. Sure wish it was still Berger Bros. And Galyons….I’d drive to Tamarac Mall complex to shop Galyons. Now its Dicks and I don’t even set foot in the store even though its right next to Target and Fleet Farm here at home.

belletaine wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
Holiday bought out the Burger Brothers chain and they morphed into Gander Mountain like Jeff H said.

I still have a old Burger Brothers ultralight that I use.

Burger Brothers were one of the original sporting goods chain stores here in the Midwest.I believe the original store was on Lyndale and Old Shakopee Rd.
When they were bought out I Think they may have had more than 1/2 dozen stores.
They were the Best Outdoors outfitter around at the time, Cabelas and bass Pro shops were just rumors back then. I can’t remember the original brothers names but one of them had shot one of the largest brown bears ever taken with a bow in Alaska and had it on Display at the Bloomington store.

jeff_huberty wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>belletaine wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
Holiday bought out the Burger Brothers chain and they morphed into Gander Mountain like Jeff H said.

I still have a old Burger Brothers ultralight that I use.

Burger Brothers were one of the original sporting goods chain stores here in the Midwest.I believe the original store was on Lyndale and Old Shakopee Rd.
When they were bought out I Think they may have had more than 1/2 dozen stores.
They were the Best Outdoors outfitter around at the time, Cabelas and bass Pro shops were just rumors back then. I can’t remember the original brothers names but one of them had shot one of the largest brown bears ever taken with a bow in Alaska and had it on Display at the Bloomington store.

I think before the Bloomington Burger Bros. store was built, the store was located around 50th and France in Edina. You pulled into the parking lot at street level and the store was above the parking lot. This was the early 80’s. Anyone else remember that?

original burger brothers store on 44th and france, Bud and Ted Burger, see them every once in a while, they live near Bemidji.

belletaine wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Charles wrote:</div>
Anybody remember the fridley one, that was the biggest one that I knew of.

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>
There used to be a Holiday in fridley. It was actually a grocery store with a sporting goods store inside. I still own a few things that I bought from holiday sports.

It was taken over by gander mountain for a few years then they moved to the Blaine location.

I went to the Fridley store often with some guys from work. We worked second shift and the store was open 24 hours. We’d buy muskie lures, they had one of the best selections next to Thorne Brothers.

You guys are tapping into the nostalgic recesses of my brain.

I lived just up the hill from Holiday in Fridley. When I was young it was a grocery store, pet shop, arcade, sporting goods and retail store. I used to walk down there with $5 or real cash, not a credit/debit card and walk the aisles of lures trying to decide between a Rapala, Jitterbug, BlueFox, Creek Chub, Bomber, Beetle Spins, Mister Twister, etc. I might have even considered some Uncle Josh pork products from time to time. I’d literally go back and forth and all over again looking at each lure and it’s packaging.

Back even before that Target had Applebaum’s grocery stores connected to them. Then they decided to cut the grocery dept out and just be a retailer. Now Target has gone full circle and most have grocery stores within them.

I too shopped the store on Rockford Road in Plymouth back in those days. There was an older guy with white hair in there named John that when he told me to buy something I did… and he was always right. Many plastics, rods, reels …

shefland wrote:

original burger brothers store on 44th and france, Bud and Ted Burger, see them every once in a while, they live near Bemidji.

I think one or both own a island on lotw. Thought i heard that anyways. By all accounts they are great guys.

Jon Jordan wrote:

They also had surplus military gear too. Jackets, boots, gloves.

Doesn’t seem that long ago….

-J.

RIGHT!!!!!!!!

My dad bought his Remington 1100 from a Holiday in Montevideo (I think) over 30 years ago. I bought my first shotgun at Burger Bros in Minnetonka (I think), right off hwy 7.
They were great stores and almost ahead of their time.

I grew up in Coralville IA and we had a Holiday Station that sold all kinds of sporting goods. I bought a lot of .22 ammo there as a teenager. I even bought my first REAL pole and spinning reel. Waders, coats, all kinds of things. I don’t think I ever bought GAS there – LOL

Cool post, good reading. I too grew up with a Holiday gas station as our go to sporting goods store. That was in Brainerd on Washington Av kitty corner from the YMCA.

Fishing, hunting gear, I think all my bicycles came from that store. I still have one rod that I use today from that store and some of the glassware you got for accumulating stamps. I have four glasses with the Vikings logo from those days.

After moving to the cities, I followed the parade of name changes from Burger Bros, to Holiday Sports, to Gander Mtn. Fun to think back on all those places. That Burger Bros in Bloomington was a great store and way ahead of its time.

Eric

big_g wrote:

The Holiday Station Store was pretty big on County Rd 9.. my nephew worked there and we would always give him the ca$h to get us the discount ! Doesn’t seem that long ago, but yeah it was the early 90’s probably when they all closed and changed to Gander Mtns.

I worked behind the lunch counter for a few years in the early 90’s. I made the best ham/egg/cheese muffins per the checkout ladies!

CaptainMusky wrote:

My dad bought his Remington 1100 from a Holiday in Montevideo (I think) over 30 years ago. I bought my first shotgun at Burger Bros in Minnetonka (I think), right off hwy 7.
They were great stores and almost ahead of their time.

Wow- now really bringing back memories, I bought an 1100 in the Bloomington store back in 1978.
Hocked it over at the Gun Exchange on Lake and Bloomington in 1990 when I had 2 baby girls at home, was out of work and they needed diapers.
I loved that gun.

big_g wrote:

Love that vinyl coat story !!! Who here can remember Zayre’s Shopper City ???

I do. There was one in Brooklyn Center on 63rd Ave. N. and Osseo Rd.(Brooklyn Blvd to the young) Went there often with my parents or by myself. They had grocery, cloths, appliances, electronics, sporting goods, and just about everything else. Kmart came along and put them out of business around the mid 60’s I think.

And before all of this there was Herters in Waseca. How many have actually been there? I have been, many times before they closed down.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

And before all of this there was Herters in Waseca. How many have actually been there? I have been, many times before they closed down.

Good Call-

Or Murphys over in the old Midway shopping center.

Since the theme here is old school,how many used to hang their guns proudly on the wall for everyone to see.

I grew up in Bloomington just west of 35W at 98th in the 70’s and 80’s. Holiday was the main grocery store my parents went too. I walked or biked to both Burger Brothers and Holiday to buy fishing gear.

Holiday sponsored the original Crappie contest on Tonka to benefit charity that I think is now run by Ron Schara.

I’m kind of a minor pack rat. I think I still have a couple of Holiday Fishing advertisements from back in the day.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

And before all of this there was Herters in Waseca. How many have actually been there? I have been, many times before they closed down.

Bought my first down coat at Herters… and compound bow. Was kind of a Mecca in Southern Minn back in the day —

Wow Im 7 years late Seeing this Topic but thought I would add something.
I think the Erickson Guys owed Hoilday plus.
Use to See Mr Erickson and His wide come walking thru the store arm in arm.
I worked at the Holiday Plus Store On Bloomington form 1992-2000 when it turned to Cub Foods.
Back in 1992 (when i came here form California out of HS) I started there and We had Everything in it. I also worked at the Old Large Mcdonalds on 8040 Nicollet at the same time.
Hoilday Had Sporting Goods, Hardware,Toys and Seasonal, Grocery and so on we sold.
All where Holiday Plus Brand I still have may shirts LOL.
I worked in the Hardware Dpt and also Mixed Paint.
Good times we even had a Car Auto Section,
They even had a Pet store i have a fish tank from it.
After a Couple years they got ride of the Department Sections and went All Grocery. Sid Bought it and named it Sidco foods LOL.
That lasted a year then Cub foods Bought it and Demoted most of the long term Union full time Guys.
I left around 2000 but had good time back then when it was Hoilday Plus.
Remember I saw Randy Savage (Mocho Man) walk in and go to the Bakery with 2 other Big Dudes.
I also say Jimmy Jam one time.
Peace
Rad

No comment!

Rochester had a Holiday back in the 60’s that had more fishing than hunting, but still limited. We’d skip school to drive up to the Cities to go to a larger Holiday Gas that had a whole world of fishing tackle and hunting supplies. We’d skip school to go to Herters in Waseca too, spend darned near the whole day there.

My connection to the Holiday/Erickson’s stores:

Cambridge Mn had an Erickson’s grocery, which I believe opened in late 60s. The brothers were Dean and Harold (?). They owned the Holiday franchises as well, mostly gas with some sporting goods and expanded the sporting goods and changed to Holiday Plus in the early 80s. They owned a large farm on intersection of County road 9 and Hwy 65, which has been preserved and was used in a movie.
My older brothers worked there in the early 70s. One went on to help open and manage the Holiday station store in Prescott. I started at the Cambridge Erickson’s in 1980 and left in 1984 to work at the Holiday Plus in Fridley on the overnight stock crew. Helped stock the new Pymouth stre before it opened as well. Worked my way up to the supervisor of the overnight crew and left in early 1986. The brothers either died or sold out in the 90s and the Cambridge store changed owners/names and eventually closed.
Wish they had kept the sporting goods franchise – it rivaled everyone for price and selection back in the day.

Oh man, when I got my license and my first job, I spent SOOO MUCH money on fishing lures at Holiday Superstores both in Burnsville and the one off Lyndale in Bloomington. LOVED that place. I think both locations are Cub Foods now. Great memories, it was kind of the first outdoors mega-store around these parts. And most Holiday gas stations around rural Minnesota still carry a small amount of basic tackle, live bait, etc.

This is a cool read. Glad someone found it!

Snake ii’s wrote:

My connection to the Holiday/Erickson’s stores:

Cambridge Mn had an Erickson’s grocery, which I believe opened in late 60s. The brothers were Dean and Harold (?). They owned the Holiday franchises as well, mostly gas with some sporting goods and expanded the sporting goods and changed to Holiday Plus in the early 80s. They owned a large farm on intersection of County road 9 and Hwy 65, which has been preserved and was used in a movie.
My older brothers worked there in the early 70s. One went on to help open and manage the Holiday station store in Prescott. I started at the Cambridge Erickson’s in 1980 and left in 1984 to work at the Holiday Plus in Fridley on the overnight stock crew. Helped stock the new Pymouth stre before it opened as well. Worked my way up to the supervisor of the overnight crew and left in early 1986. The brothers either died or sold out in the 90s and the Cambridge store changed owners/names and eventually closed.
Wish they had kept the sporting goods franchise – it rivaled everyone for price and selection back in the day.

God what a throw back, my dad started with them when they were in the original store and stayed there until Nash-Finch corp changed to Econo Foods and eventually closed. We have so much More 4 random gear laying around my parents house. Man the memory’s working and hanging out in that store lol.

I remember buying quite a bit of equipment at the Holiday plus in Fridley when I first was getting into hunting and fishing. I also remember thinking that Burger Brothers was a far nicer store than the Holiday, and I wished I had more money to spend there. IMO: Gander was a degrade from what Holiday was before they took over.

Here’s a trip down memory lane.

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