Uniquely East Side

Uniquely East Side Working together since 1922 to: promote business relations; assist and support member businesses; an

🚨 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO PLAY ON PAYNE! 🎉🌞One last chance to come out, enjoy the plaza, connect with your community, a...
08/31/2026

🚨 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO PLAY ON PAYNE! 🎉🌞

One last chance to come out, enjoy the plaza, connect with your community, and soak up the summer vibes on Payne Avenue! 💚

Play on Payne is brought to you by ESNDC and Saint Paul Commercial Corridors, with funding from the East Side Funders Group and Rooted Philanthropic.

The plaza is produced by The Musicant Group, in partnership with Indigenous Roots, Can Can Wonderland, OMG (Other Media Group) and Hard In The Paint Hoops. 🏀🎶🎨

We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make Play on Payne a space for fun, connection, creativity, and community all summer long. 🫶🏽

✨ Don’t miss your LAST chance — come out and Play on Payne TODAY!

🍻 Business Spotlight: Brunson's Pub 🍻Tucked into 956 Payne Ave, Brunson's Pub has become a true East Side gathering spot...
08/30/2026

🍻 Business Spotlight: Brunson's Pub 🍻

Tucked into 956 Payne Ave, Brunson's Pub has become a true East Side gathering spot — scratch-made food, good drinks, and the kind of hospitality that makes a neighborhood feel like home.

The pub's name is a nod to Benjamin Brunson, one of Saint Paul's original land surveyors, whose historic brick home still stands nearby on Railroad Island — the oldest standing brick house in the city. A small piece of neighborhood history carried forward into a space built for today.

Owners Molly and Thomas LaFleche met while working in the industry back in 2003, and their connection to Payne Avenue runs deep — Molly grew up nearby at Payne and Jessamine, with family who once worked behind that same bar decades earlier. When the right property came along, they knew they'd found their place.

In the kitchen, Chef Torrance Beavers (a Le Cordon Bleu grad) brings flavors from North Carolina to the Virgin Islands into a scratch-made menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and shareables — plus a kids' menu so the whole family's covered. Behind the bar, expect creative cocktails, a rotating local b**r list, and wines picked to pair with the food.

📍 956 Payne Ave, Saint Paul
🕐 Sun–Thu 11AM–11PM | Fri–Sat 11AM–12AM
🥞 Brunch Saturday & Sunday, 11AM–2PM
🅿️ Free parking lot on site

Stop by and see why Brunson's has become a Payne Avenue staple. 🍽️

Business Spotlight: Sota Soul 🍗 Craving comfort food that hits like home? Sota Soul is a local team dedicated to bringi...
08/28/2026

Business Spotlight: Sota Soul 🍗

Craving comfort food that hits like home? Sota Soul is a local team dedicated to bringing the best in soulful experiences, with a mission to create a welcoming space where everyone can enjoy great food.

From smothered chicken & rice to fried catfish, collard greens, and cornbread, this East Side spot is serving up soul food made with fresh, quality ingredients — and the neighborhood can taste the difference. Go show them some love!

📍 971 Arcade St, Saint Paul, MN 55106
📞 (651) 347-0132
🕐 Tue–Sat: 11AM–7PM | Sun: 12PM–6PM (Weekend Brunch 11AM–2PM Sat, 12–2PM Sun) | Mon: 12PM–6PM



https://sotasoulmn.com//about.php

🎬 Movie Night at the Plaza: Hoppers 🐻🦫Need plans for tommorow night? Bring your blanket, bring your people — Disney/Pixa...
08/27/2026

🎬 Movie Night at the Plaza: Hoppers 🐻🦫

Need plans for tommorow night? Bring your blanket, bring your people — Disney/Pixar's Hoppers is hitting the big screen tomorrow at 8pm. Swing by early for mini golf and ping pong, then spin the block and stay for the show.

📍 926 Payne Ave | Free | All ages | Movie starts at 8pm

It's our final weekend of Play on Payne! 🎉What a summer it's been on Payne Avenue. We had a blast — thank you to the Eas...
08/27/2026

It's our final weekend of Play on Payne! 🎉

What a summer it's been on Payne Avenue. We had a blast — thank you to the East Side community, the families who came out to play, the businesses who fed and supported us, and every partner who helped make this plaza something special. Swipe through to relive some of our favorite moments from the summer 📸

This wouldn't have been "Play on Payne" without all of you showing up all summer long. We're closing out strong — here's the schedule for our last weekend:

📍 926 Payne Ave. (at Sims Ave) | 11am–6pm, 7 days a week

FRIDAY 8/28
🎬 8pm — Movie Night: Hoppers w/ Trilingua Cinema

SATURDAY 8/29
💃 10am–12pm — Zumbathon w/ Eli Murdock

🎬 8pm — Movie Night: 1985 (Hmong w/ English subtitles) w/ Trilingua Cinema

SUNDAY 8/30
🌿 10am–12pm — Wellness Day w/ Pathways to Wellness MCC

Come spin the block one last time and celebrate the East Side with us 💛💜

🎉 The FINAL weekend of Play on Payne is here! 🎉Join us August 28–30 at 926 Payne Ave. (at Sims Ave.) for one last weeken...
08/25/2026

🎉 The FINAL weekend of Play on Payne is here! 🎉

Join us August 28–30 at 926 Payne Ave. (at Sims Ave.) for one last weekend of community fun! 💚

🎬 Friday, 8/28 | 8 PM
Movie Night: Hoppers

💃 Saturday, 8/29 | 10 AM–12 PM
Zumbathon with Eli Murdock

🎬 Saturday, 8/29 | 8 PM
Movie Night: 1985 — Hmong with English subtitles

🧘🏽 Sunday, 8/30 | 10 AM–12 PM
Wellness Day

Come celebrate the final weekend of Play on Payne: Global Beat on Main Street! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors and enjoy these FREE community events. ❤️

📍 926 Payne Ave. (at Sims Ave.)
⏰ 11 AM–6 PM | 7 days a week

Don’t miss the last weekend! 🎉

🌮 Business Spotlight: Taqueria Los Paisanos 🌮Craving authentic Mexican food on the East Side? Taqueria Los Paisanos is l...
08/24/2026

🌮 Business Spotlight: Taqueria Los Paisanos 🌮

Craving authentic Mexican food on the East Side? Taqueria Los Paisanos is located on the corner of East 7th and Arcade, serving up authentic Mexican eats to the community.

From tacos to tortas, this spot has become a go-to for folks looking for real, flavorful food right in the neighborhood. Go show them some love and grab a bite!

📍 825 E 7th St, Saint Paul, MN 55106
📞 (651) 778-8062
🕐 Daily, 10AM–9PM

🌍 Celebrating International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples on Play on Payne! 🌍Join us Saturday, 8/22 from 10AM–12PM a...
08/20/2026

🌍 Celebrating International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples on Play on Payne! 🌍

Join us Saturday, 8/22 from 10AM–12PM as we honor Indigenous heritage and culture alongside Niniijaanis and Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli 🙌

Niniijaanis is rolling up with a trailer full of games for all ages — including basketball pong — plus products available for purchase and stay into the evening for Movie Night: Space Jam at 8PM 🏀🎬

📍 926 Payne Ave (at Sims Ave), Saint Paul
🕙 10AM–12PM | Movie Night 8PM

🍿 FREE Movie Night on Payne Ave — and trust us, you don't want to sleep on this classic. 🏀🐰Grab the fam, grab a blanket,...
08/19/2026

🍿 FREE Movie Night on Payne Ave — and trust us, you don't want to sleep on this classic. 🏀🐰

Grab the fam, grab a blanket, and get ready to relive the magic — Space Jam is hitting the big screen and free popcorn is on us!

📽️ Hosted by TriLingua
📅 Saturday, August 22nd
🕣 Movie starts 8:30 PM
🎟️ FREE — all are welcome, no ticket required!

Whether you're here for Bugs, MJ, or just the nostalgia, this one's a vibe. Come through, bring the kiddos, and let's spin the block! 🌆

📍 926 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130

✂️ Business Spotlight: Gentlemen Cuts Barbershop ✂️ Meet Terrell Smith, aka Mr. Red — the owner behind Gentlemen Cuts,...
08/18/2026

✂️ Business Spotlight: Gentlemen Cuts Barbershop ✂️

Meet Terrell Smith, aka Mr. Red — the owner behind Gentlemen Cuts, a true East Side institution on Payne Ave since 2014. What started as a dream to be his own boss turned into so much more than fades and lineups.

This shop is a place where conversation flows as freely as the clippers, where mentorship happens in the barber's chair, and where community is at the heart of every cut. From free back-to-school haircuts for kids to giving young barbers their start, Terrell's commitment to the neighborhood runs deep.

Gentlemen Cuts was even featured on Small Business Revolution, celebrating Black-owned businesses shaping the East Side.

📍 913 Payne Ave, Saint Paul
📞 (651) 330-7758
🕐 Mon–Sat, 10AM–6PM | Closed Sundays

Go show them some love! 💈

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