Former Owner of The Persian Supper Club Has Died

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(KNSI) – The former owner of the famous Persian Supper Club has passed away.

Sources tell KNSI that 84-year-old Al Kirmeier died Sunday at St. Cloud Hospital.

According to the Stearns History Museum, Al and his wife Pat opened the Persian Supper Club on December 31st, 1961, on the Kirmeier family land. Al and brother Roger cleared trees, dug a 40 foot well, and poured the foundation themselves.

Al named it The Persian after falling in love with a bar and restaurant of the same name in Long Beach, California, where he operated a marina in the 1950s.

It was widely known for its spacious dining room, with the capacity to seat a thousand people, unique food choices for the time, and friendly staff. In an article by the Stearns History Museum and published by the St. Cloud Times, The Persian was one of the first places in town to get a lobster dinner and the only place one could get a rib dinner on Wednesday nights for $2.25. Al and Pat would personally greet diners at the door by name, dressed to the nines, quickly making it one of the most popular places to eat. The Persian also hosted 150 weddings per year.

Al and Pat retired in 1995 and sold the Persian in 1997. The new owners named it Gambini’s Fine Dining and Nightclub, but it closed in 1999.

Al and his brother Roger also owned and operated Pirate’s Cove, buying what was known as the Mississippi Lodge in the 1960s and changing its name. The Kirmeiers sold that in 1997, and it was destroyed by fire in 1998.

Arrangements are through Miller Carlin Funeral Home. An obituary for Al says he is survived by his wife, Pat, children, Alan & Trish Kirmeier, Jayson Kirmeier, Kari & Todd Carstensen, Kristen (Jim Matthews) Kirmeier, and brother Roger and his wife, Pat Kirmeier.

Full service information will be given at a later date by Miller Carlin Funeral Home.

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