Osseo Staple Duffy’s Undertaking Kitchen Expansion
Duffy’s Bar and Grill in Osseo is changing shape. It has stood on Osseo’s Main Street for more than 30 years. Its building has stood there even longer — it was originally constructed in 1895.
At the heart of a restaurant is its kitchen. On a Friday afternoon, when Duffy’s opens for business, traffic rolls in right away. Markus Whittaker, a cook at the business, has a handle on the system.
“We all have our positions,” Whittaker said, motioning around the small kitchen space. “Got the fryer, got the setups. Everybody stays in one station, works at one station. You know, we communicate when tickets come in. It works out pretty smooth for us.”
One look around the place tells you one thing for sure: Duffy’s is an Osseo staple. There’s a photo of the bar in its early years near the door and other decorations. The Duffy family bought it and reshaped it in 1989. General Manager Josh Duffy’s dad still owns the place, and adorns it in signs that he collects wherever he goes.
“It’s been a bar since the early 1900s as far as we can track. There are liquor licenses on the wall for 1902 and 1912!” Duffy said.
Duffy’s is decorated with an eclectic variety of signs, artwork and memorabilia.
A Bigger Look
The bar’s collected knickknacks and tacked on rooms over the years. The original part of the bar has its original tin roof. Still, the kitchen has stayed the same. Duffy said it’s time for an expansion. Not to the dining floor — but to the kitchen from the outside in.
Behind Duffy’s, foundation work is underway for that expansion, which started back in mid-December. The restaurant will stay open throughout the construction, save for a few days.
“Over there, we can see the foundation work that’s being done,” Duffy said, pointing at the construction workers hammering away just outside the basement.
Once the kitchen expands, Duffy said it will make room for a bigger menu. He said though it won’t be fancy, it will expand on what Duffy’s already offers.
Whittaker and his fellow cooks welcome a bigger space.
“I’m excited. It’s a small kitchen; we push a lot of food,” Whittaker said. “For us to get a renovation, get it bigger– I’m excited for that.”
While visitors may not be able to see it from the dining room, Duffy thinks the change will open up their potential.
“We are working hard and wanting to be a part of the future of Osseo, and be a part of everyone’s future,” Duffy said. “What people are going to notice is this renovation will cement our presence in Osseo for years and years to come.”
Duffy said the expanded kitchen should be complete in April.
The cooks at Duffy’s prepare food for the Friday lunch rush. Soon, they’ll have plenty more room to move.
