Beaner’s Central to Mark 20th Anniversary with Name Change and Celebration

All smiles. Beaner's celebrates 20 years with party and a name change.

I doubt that there are very many cities like Duluth, Minnesota. Or maybe there are but we don't know their histories. The feature I am thinking of here is how all these various communities, like Gary/New Duluth, Kenwood, Lincoln Park, Lakeside, Piedmont Heights, Woodland, Congdon, and the Central Hillside all banded together over time and became the sprawling community that snakes along the St. Louis River Estuary northward toward Two Harbors along the tip of Lake Superior.

When Beaner's Central opened in West Duluth, it quickly became a community gathering place, generously warmed by its founding spirit, Jason Wussow. It's hard to believe Beaner's Central is celebrating its 20th year of sharing great coffee, music and eats here in what is also known as the Spirit Valley region of of our city.

Later this month Beaner's will be marking this 20 year milestone with a name change and celebration on July 26 and 27. 

Jason Wussow (L) with Dan Dresser. They're cookin'.

It's hard to even recall all the good memories that have been generated here. It's a very long list. I remember Jason & his compadre Dan Dresser's Cooking on the Car video launch in which Mayor Don Ness and his better half, and their friends were treated to an exquisite meal... cooked on a car manifold, of course.

The annual singer-songwriter contests, open mic storytellers, poetry events, and countless varieties of musical entertainment and production would produce a list too long to enumerate here. For sure, many well-known local acts began here or fine-tuned their chops here.

It's a place many in our community have called home at one time or another, and not just for the free wi-fi.

Going forward, I suspect that nothing will change as far as the music, the warmth, the people who make this place special or the other things that make this place unique. ONE thing, however, is changing. Beaner’s Central is becoming WUSSOW’S CONCERT CAFE.

It's funny how many of us midwesterners were oblivious to  the use of the name Beaners as an ethnic slur. Here in Duluth it was all about coffee beans. On one occasion, however, we had a visitor from California who was somewhat shocked by this former name and our lack of awareness. Alas... Live and learn. That's all changing now, and there's no time like a 20th Anniversary to sink home the new name.

Mark your calendars for July 26 & 27. The party is free and everyone's invited. Here's the lineup

Friday, July 26th:

6pm - Branditos
7pm - Jeffrey James
8pm - WoodBlind
9pm - Fractals
10pm - Father Hennepin

Saturday, July 27th:
An Outdoor Family Friendly Event including live music, square dancing, games, good food, and more!

Noon - Square Dance with Four Mile Portage & caller Kyler Ollah
1 pm - Best Dressed Dog Show & Ryan Lane
2pm - Dan the Monkey Man
3 pm - Ann Kathryn
4pm - Dave Mehling
5pm - Hardaybra
6pm - Cuckoo Bees
7pm - Charlie Parr
8pm - Salty Dogs

Jason wants to make sure to give shout outs to his sponsors.
Here are some great local businesses to support.
Alakef Coffee
Duluth Coffee
Earth Rider Brewery
Bent Paddle Brewing
The Party Store
and Zenith Books, whom Jason describes as "the best neighbors I've ever had."

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