Tradition holds at the Hi-Hat

For the first time in three years of pandemic pandemonium, Gordy's Hi-Hat opened with counter service, with nary a carhop in sight.

"The world is back to normal," said Sever Lundquist, the third generation of Lundquists to operate the popular Cloquet hamburger joint. The carhop was fun, he said, and they could serve a lot of food. But they missed seeing their customers, because people stayed in their cars and spoke only to staff taking their orders.

On opening day Wednesday, Sever and his dad, Dan Lundquist, were back behind the counter taking orders and talking with customers as usual.

Missing from the lineup of Lundquists was the restaurant's namesake and founder, Gordy, who passed away last summer, and his wife, Marilyn, who is in Florida ... at least until the weather gets warmer.

This will be the 62nd season for the restaurant the couple founded in 1960. Gordy lives on in the restaurant name, the menu, the culture they created and many memories, Sever said.

"He and Grandma did such a great job forming relationships with customers and that has trickled down to us: we have relationships with the grandkids of the people they knew," Sever said. "There's no better way to honor him than by making sure we touch base with all of our local customers and continue to form those relationships."

Speaking of community, on Tuesday the restaurant made burgers and milkshakes for all the teachers and staff at Washington and Churchill Elementary schools in Cloquet. They plan to do the same for Queen of Peace, Fond du Lac and Cloquet middle and high schools soon.

"Teachers have been through the wringer the past few years, so it was a way to show respect ... and stop in and say 'hi,'" said Sever, who got his start at Churchill.

What kind of changes can customers expect this year?

"Nothing at all," Sever said.

His grandparents found a lineup of classic American foods: hamburgers, french fries, breaded fish filets, onion rings, milkshakes and more. They never changed the ingredients; they never changed the process, and Sever and Dan say they aren't going to change it up.

Jason Prokosch and Shaela Henderson moved to Cloquet in 2020 from the Iron Range. While they weren't strangers to the eatery, they soon understood why people go "a little crazy" about their Gordy's. Prokosch said the food deserves the admiration. "I can see why," he said between bites of his meal. The couple were eating with Logan Henderson and toddler Liam Henderson during a lull in the first-day rush Wednesday just after 3 p.m.

The same core group of staff members are back, and "upcoming new talent" have been hired. "Our head cooks have been here since before I was born," said Sever.

Sever started his own career at Gordy's Hi-Hat when he was 10, then left to go away to school and worked at three corporations in marketing and "operations-logistics roles." He's been back up north working at the family business going on seven years now. He and his wife, Kaitlyn, are raising perhaps the next generation of Hi-Hat workers turned owners: a 2-year-old son, Wilk, and 5-month old daughter, Kennedy.

Sever said he doesn't miss his time at corporate.

"I'd rather be on my feet 80 hours a week selling burgers than sitting in a cubicle for 40," he said.