Namesake Of Cloquet’s Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Gordy Lundquist, Passes Away At 93

Popular seasonal Cloquet restaurant Gordy's Hi-Hat shared news Wednesday morning that owner Gordy Lundquist has passed away at the age of 93.

In a social media post published on Wednesday morning, the business shared that Gordon 'Gordy' Lundquist passed away at home on Tuesday, July 6. By his side was his wife of 71 years, Marilyn.

In the post, the family expressed that Gordy was a "wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather who took tremendous pride in his work and all of his employees throughout the years".

In remembrance of Gordy, the Lundquist family and their restaurant welcomes community members and fans of the restaurant to share fond stories to their social media page.

When asked about what his favorite part of the job has been over the years, Gordy told WDIO that meeting people was the highlight for him.

Gordy and his wife Marilyn are natives of Duluth, and got their start in the food service industry when they built the first A&W Root Beer Stand on the Iron Range in Eveleth back in 1950.

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The Gordy's Hi-Hat website goes on to explain that Gordy and Marilyn then built the London Inn Drive Inn on London Road in Duluth in 1955 before building the now legendary Gordy's Hi-Hat in Cloquet in 1960.

The seasonal Cloquet burger joint has developed a large following that excitedly await the seasonal opening every spring to enjoy delicious burgers, fries, homemade onion rings, shakes, malts, and a helping of nostalgia.

Beside locals and tourists from around the country discovering and spreading the word about Gordy's, the restaurant gained a whole new level of national notoriety after making the first of two appearances on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The first appearance came in 2010, on the show's "You Called It" episode, where Gordy's was featured alongside restaurants in California and Kentucky. The "Triple-D" crew revisited Gordy's in 2020, but the episode was delayed for air until 2021.

Gordy's manager Sever Lundquist told the Duluth News Tribune that the delay between filming and airing was likely due to the pandemic and impacts on restaurant operations. The episode aired on Food Network on May 28 of this year.

When crews from the show were on location in Cloquet last summer, the restaurant shared a couple photos of the filming experience, including an image of an interview with Gordy and Marilyn.

To the Lundquist family, I offer my sympathies after Gordy's passing. He and his wife created a legendary establishment that has been part of many people's summertime traditions from across the northland and across the country for decades. Truly an incredible legacy.