Lockport Marketplace: A Lutsen, Minnesota Institution Since 1928

If you've ever driven along the North Shore of Lake Superior on scenic Minnesota Highway 61 and passed through the small town of Lutsen, you've probably noticed what appears to be a quaint, clapboard gas station on the lake side of the road. A sign on the building simply reads "Lockport" in white letters against a red background. A humble roadside placard alerts passersby to the fact that there may be more to this spot than two old-school gas pumps and some coolers full of soda. What's not immediately apparent from the outside is Lockport's long history or how much it has evolved during more than three decades of stewardship under its current owners, Nan Bradley and Deb Niemisto.

When I first visited Lockport, it was owned by a couple from Burnsville, who had recently purchased the somewhat ramshackle gas station and convenience mart in Lutsen. They and the store were pleasant enough, but whether they lost gumption, simply didn't enjoy North Shore living as much as they thought they would, or any of countless other reasons that drive folks to make choices, the couple sold Lockport in 1994, after just four years of ownership. Bradley and Niemisto, who had recently relocated from out East, scooped it up. The rest, of course, is history—both embraced and created.

Embracing the past

When Bradley and Niemisto took over Lockport more than 30 years ago, it had been little more than a gas station and convenience store for decades. They've stayed true to this part of the business's history, and you can still stop to purchase gas and grab a pack of gum on your way up the shore to Grand Marais or the Canadian border.

The business was founded in 1928 as a general store in what was then the Lockport neighborhood of Lutsen Township. In addition to the store, several cabins and a pier were also located in the community. One part of the store that was particularly intriguing to Bradley and Niemisto when they first took over was a paneled back room that was being used for storage. Eventually, curiosity got the best of them.

Bradley told me that, shortly after taking over the business, she had a conversation with a descendant of the Nelson family, who had founded the town and built Lutsen Resort. He told Bradley that for many years after its opening, the store had operated a dining room in the back. Locals would come to enjoy a meal together, chat, and exchange the news of the day.

In the mid-1990s, there was no longer a place like that in Lutsen proper. You'd have to head up the hill to Lutsen Mountains or down to Lutsen Resort (which tragically burned to the ground in 2024), both of which are a few miles out of town, to get a meal. Inspired by Lockport's distant past, which seemingly had been forgotten by generations of previous owners, Bradley and Niemisto cleaned up the dining room, set up a proper commercial kitchen, and rebranded as Lockport Marketplace and Grill.

Creating a legacy

Today, Lockport serves breakfast and lunch on a regular schedule. I recently stopped in for breakfast on a holiday Monday and was pleased to find them open. (I strongly recommend the Moose Omelet—and no, there's no moose in it.) Bradley told me that my server was one of four international students who had just arrived that week from Jamaica to spend the summer working at Lockport and exploring northern Minnesota. Bradley said that she and Niemisto had taken the students up to the ski resort, where the runs had not yet completely melted, shortly after their arrival, and the students were thrilled to touch snow for the first time. The partners have been hosting such students, who stay in a living area above the store, for several years and rely on them for help during the busy summer season.

In addition to opening the restaurant, Bradley and Niemisto have expanded Lockport's footprint by adding a beautiful patio, which is a perfect place to enjoy lunch on a sunny North Shore day. They've also expanded the store's offerings by adding a bakery and a full coffee bar. Pegs full of personalized mugs adorn the wall behind the counter, awaiting the orders of Lockport's regulars.

During Bradley's and Niemisto's tenure as owners, Lockport Marketplace has grown, thrived, and has become, itself, a destination—rather than just a place to stop on the way to somewhere else. In embracing Lockport's future as well as its past, the partners have brought the business full circle: It's once again a beloved, stalwart institution of the Lutsen community.