Flagstaff’s historic Grand Canyon Cafe reopened last week after an ownership change and months of remodeling.
Naturally, longtime Route 66 travelers and regular customers wonder what changes are in store for a restaurant that will mark its 75th anniversary in December after longtime owners Freddy and Tina Wong retired last year and sold it to a local investment group that includes owners of other restaurants and a microbrewery.
The Arizona Daily Sun newspaper, based in Flagstaff, went to the restaurant and got some details. You can read the entire story here, but here are the condensed details, plus other items I’ve gleaned online:
— The group reupholstered the original booths and bar stools but otherwise made no changes to them. It kept the front counter as a hostess stand and restored the old freezer behind it and an ancient jukebox. The so-called “liar’s table” still sits in the corner. And the restaurant’s neon signs and neon lighting remain.
— The new owners added a kitchen window so customers could see the cooks at work. The bathrooms and hallways were updated for easier use for people with disabilities.
— The reopening took longer than expected because renovations to the kitchen revealed damage from a fire decades ago that required extensive repairs. Also, a bank backed out of financing the project, requiring the ownership group had to find a new lender.
— Favorites such as the chicken fried steak, chow mein, chop suey and other Chinese entrees stayed, with no change to the recipes. One of the co-operators told the newspaper “about 80 percent” of the menu is unchanged. The latest menu is here.
— Added are more sandwiches, burgers and omelets, plus upgrading a few favorites. The meat and coffee come from local companies. The restaurant also will serve beer, wine and a few mixed drinks.
— The cafe retained some of its staff — a notable thing, considering the long layoff. The Wongs also will stay involved with the restaurant.
— The restaurant quietly launched a new website. It notes a grand opening will be held sometime this month.
No mention was made in the article about prices. I hold little doubt the average cost per food item went up, based on the menu. Some people may grouse about that. But it costs a lot of money to upgrade and keep up a historic property. Some people also complained when the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, raised its nightly rates when it first was renovated nearly 20 years ago, along with the price hikes with successive owners’ improvements. Few complain now.
(Image of the renovated interior of the Grand Canyon Cafe in Flagstaff, Arizona, via Facebook)