Guest Pass: Band Box Diner In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Band Box is a place that any "knuckle puck" fan would recognize from the beginning of "D2: The Mighty Ducks."

But the history of the diner is far more than a 90s cameo.

"I've heard that they were running some kind of numbers, maybe betting here, collecting money here," said Brad Ptacek, owner of the Band Box.

Legend has it that after opening in 1939, the Band Box was a front for Minneapolis gangster Kid Cann.

That mystique is part of what drew Ptacek to buy the diner in 1998.

"I love old things, and old bikes, and old stuff. It kinda seemed like it makes sense," Ptacek said.

The Band Box gave Ptacek a chance to be his own boss after years working as a chef, teaching and catering.

"(I was) doing rock and roll catering. I did the first seven or eight Lollapaloozas," Ptacek said.

At the Band Box, he's turned in the rock-and-roll life for what has become a family business. His daughter, Bailey, works as a server and his 2-year old is working as an unofficial taste tester. Together, they're cooking up classic diner food in a classic Minneapolis diner.

"Everything is fresh, everything is as local as I can get it. Everything is just simple and honest is basically it," Ptacek said.

For info on their hours & location, you can visit their Facebook page.