The Grand Canyon Cafe, owned by the same family for more than 70 years, soon will change hands to a group of five investors from Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Arizona Daily Sun reports longtime managers Fred and Tina Wong soon will retire after running the Route 66 restaurant since 1980. Wong’s family has owned the Flagstaff eatery since 1945.
Taking the keys to the restaurant will be Paul and Laura Moir, who manage and own Criollo Latin Kitchen, Brix Restaurant and Wine Bar and Proper Meats + Provisions; Michael and Alissa Marquess; who own Mother Road Brewing Co., and Paul Thomas, a faculty member in the college of business at Northern Arizona University.
The newspaper reported:
Michael said the group has not made their final decisions on menu items, but said they plan to keep some favorites, like the famous chicken fried steak, as well as some of the Chinese influence the Wong family has given to the restaurant.
“I think we would probably be tarred and feathered and ran out of town on the rails if we got rid of that,” he joked. […]
According to Paul, many of the physical changes to the restaurant will be invisible to customers, like bringing the building up to ADA compliance for accessibility, replacing tile and re-stuffing the booth seats.
The neon sign and the brick exterior will stay, and Alissa said the group is looking at some ways to bring some function back into the retro design, including restoring the jukebox in the restaurant and bringing back an antique wooden door, similar to the one that marked the entrance to the café for decades before it was taken down and sold.
The principals expect the deal to close this month, then they’ll close the restaurant for remodeling, with a probable reopening in December.
Fred Wong explained the owners held out for buyers who would appreciate its role in Flagstaff history and culture.
The Wongs own a farm south of town and have family in the Phoenix region. Fred Wong said he wants to devote more time to the farm and a newly born grandson.
Mother Road Brewing Co. takes the inspiration for its name from Route 66. Beer names include Gold Road Kölsch Style Ale and Tower Station IPA — the latter inspired by the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas.
The Grand Canyon Cafe marked its 70th anniversary in 2012. Save for an expansion after World War II, the restaurant changed little since opening Dec. 18, 1942. More facts about the restaurant are here.
(Image of the Grand Canyon Cafe by BriYYZ via Flickr)
My Grandfather put that jukebox system in after the war. It still worked in the mid-70’s. I used to buy Angel fish from Fred when I was a teen. Cool dude and used to be a decent tennis player.
Congratulations on your retirement. Do your Travels.