Legendary Minneapolis dive bar CC Club could soon be up for sale

The owners of the fabled CC Club in south Minneapolis say the famous dive bar could be up for sale in the near future.

Randy Segal, one of the co-owners of the bar at the corner of Lyndale Avenue and 26th Street, said there have been no formal steps toward putting the club on the market. But, Segal said, he and co-owner Steve Shapiro both turned 75 this year, and find themselves contemplating retirement. The two have co-owned the club for the past decade.

“With all the stress of running businesses, you get older, and reality hits,” Segal said Monday.

The dive bar opened in 1933, and would come to develop a legendary status in the city as a place for hipsters and musicians. Notably, a few songs by Minneapolis rock band The Replacements were inspired by hanging at the CC Club, including the track, “Here Comes a Regular.”

Earlier this year, Segal mentioned to others that he would look to retire and sell the business tied to his 75th birthday. “It’s the kind of thing where if something came along and it was the right deal, I suppose I’d listen to it,” Segal said. He would give the first opportunity to the bar’s workers if they wanted to buy the spot collectively, he added.

Whoever takes over should have knowledge of the bar business and managerial experience, Segal said. He became a co-owner a little over a decade ago and has acted as its manager. In 2021, French Meadow Café co-owner Lynn Gordon sold her stake in the CC Club, making Segal and Shapiro the sole owners of the bar.

The French Meadow sits next door to the CC Club, and Gordon said Monday she is also open to selling the longtime bakery and café. She said she’d prefer a buyer who would continue the restaurant and its emphasis on vegan and organic options.

Lyndale Avenue South is slated for significant reconstruction work between Franklin Avenue and 31st Street, to begin in 2027. Some local social media users have speculated it could drive beloved local businesses in that part of Uptown out of business. But Gordon and Segal both said that’s not a factor in selling considerations.

“None of that really enters our mind,” Segal said. “Everybody, or at least a lot of people, walk here on foot.”