Litt Pinball, a pinball-centric bar boasting an impressive number and variety of machines, moved locations this fall from the Whittier neighborhood to the space previously occupied by Liquor Lyle's on Hennepin Avenue and Franklin Avenue. As a former Liquor Lyle's aficionado, I was curious to see what Litt planned to do with the space, so I connected with co-owner John Galvin in May 2023.
In doing so, I learned that John’s involvement in the pinball community dates back to his childhood. His father operated and repaired pinball machines in bowling alleys, hotels and bars, and John would accompany him from place to place as a kid, watching and helping him fix the machines. John ultimately opened Litt to “cultivate an ever-changing lineup of cool machines in a welcoming space, where people could hang out, enjoy food and beverage and compete with one another (if they want to).”
After hearing his story and his excitement about the bar’s new locale, I stopped bemoaning the closing of Liquor Lyle's (for the most part...) and looked forward to Litt’s official opening in the new space. I also happen to live just a couple of blocks down from the bar, so my roommate and I have ambled over a handful of times for a drink, burgers and some pinball. On one such occasion, I was especially glad to notice an old Liquor Lyle's sign subtly displayed in the women’s bathroom.
This month, I circled back with John to see how things have been going since the bar officially opened, and it seems like they’re going quite well.
When did the new location officially open?
We officially opened to the public on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m.
Are you happy with how the construction turned out?
Yes, overall we are very happy with the way the building and space turned out. It wound up being a lot more work, and taking longer to complete, but it was totally worth it, both in the short term as well as long term.
What has been the best part of the new location since you've opened?
For me, the best part has been seeing the look on people’s faces as they take in the new space!
Have there been any unexpected hiccups that you've had to manage since opening?
Really just the typical growing pains of getting things in place to handle the larger space, more employees, more machines, etc.
Are you happy with how the turnout has been since you've opened (when I've gone it's been pretty crowded - in a good way!)?
Absolutely. We’ve seen lots of new faces as well as plenty of familiar ones, which is awesome.
How have things changed at Litt since opening in the new location?
We are definitely seeing new faces. We now have the space and infrastructure to accommodate pinball players, sports spectators and people going out for food and drinks, all at once so that’s exciting.
Have you received any noteworthy feedback about the new location?
Pretty typical feedback so far. Mostly positive. As expected we had some kinks to work out upon opening and are always looking for ways to improve our operation.
Why did you decide to set up a DJ booth (did the previous location have one too? I wasn't sure!)?
We love our DJs! We didn’t have a dedicated booth at the old space, but still made it work to host DJs multiple nights each week. With that in mind, we knew we wanted to dedicate a space for that in the new location. It has also proved very useful for announcements during our pinball events.
How did you decide on the food menu?
We did serve food at the old location, most of which carried over to the new menu. We now have a vent hood in our kitchen, so we happily added some items to the menu. Our smash burgers have been a huge hit!
Besides DJ sets, will the new Litt host any other special events?
So far we’ve hosted some private parties as well as various pinball tournaments and beer events. We’re excited to explore more opportunities in the future too.
What are you most excited about for the future of Litt?
I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the pinball community around us, while at the same time establishing ourselves as a great local bar for people to come together.
