Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by scott-atl »

banana cream one of the four I hope
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by calicotraveler »

Went to the Park Cafe a few days ago. First thing I noticed was that there was no line outside waiting to get in. All we got was razzleberry pie and ice cream. We have gotten this many times in past years and it has always been outstanding. This pie was a sad disappointment. First of all the appearance wasn't professional looking. Second of all the taste was just average at best. Thirdly, the price seemed high. Not going back until they get their act together. Hope this is just the adjustment period that many restaurants go through during their first year. :(
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by Selkie »

I too noticed no lines.

At 7:06 one morning the door opened so that an employee could tell me, the only prospective customer, that it would be a while longer, for the cook had quit. ("Him and his girlfriend had a fight and he left without notice.")

Looks like the new management has a steep learning curve to surmount.

So I got a coffee and an egg salad sandwich at a convenience store, and called it good. Then moseyed on down to Rock 'n' Roll Bakery... (which thread pls. see).
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by Jay w »

I keep thinking this thread should be called. "Park Café Closed Under New Ownership" as it sounds like what they're doing ain't working. Since I didn't get why they would mess with a good thing, I just went back and read through the thread and it sounds like this was a "hostile takeover." So, it seems hard feelings were created and now they can't get past that. Funny how that works.

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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by smahurin »

While I haven't made as many glacier trips as I normally do (only 3 this summer to date) everytime I drive by at dinner time there is only a handful of people there at best (including the one time it was empty and they were open). Its definitely a stark contrast to previous summers.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by rayeraye »

I'm wondering if the Park Cafe is doing any business at all this summer. Drove by a few times so far and it is always closed. Bizarre.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by Stmarypete »

We were in St Mary this last week and drove by many times. It was never really busy, even during peak hours. I guess the word travels quickly. They will survive just because of the limited competition. It is still a great loss in the world of pie.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by Deb1741 »

My grandson I went to the Park Cafe for breakfast Wednesay morning. All we wanted was a cinnamon roll but they said they only bake pies. So I had pancakes and grandson had french toast. Neither one of us was impressed. The place.was not crowded at all. We were going to have pie and ice cream there Friday afternoon when we got back from Waterton but they were closed. Thought that was odd to be closed on a Friday. We left JohnsonsCampground this morning at 9am and there were only 3 cars in the parking lot for breakfast. On a side note....we stopped at Johnsons Cafe for cinnamon rolls to go.....OMG they were beyond yummy.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by BCD »

A neewbees impresion .
4 days ago, sat, went in late afternoon. Place was 80% occupied. Sat at counter. Pleasant waitress. Had fries and Huck pie-ice crm. Fries were mediocre, tasted funny. Pie was just average. Scoop of ice cream-great.

Next evening, went in for evening meal. Just did Logan pass-granite park-Grinnell overlook-back to Logan. Was famished. Too dirty and too late to get clean on way back to Serrano's, so I decided to beebop back in for a meal. Place was packed. It was a disaster. 2 wait staff only. Got last seat, then worried as most folks were waiting and not eating. Poor kid at table behind me got missed as everyone got their food except him. He wanted a grilled cheese. When I left 45 min later, he still didnt have it! Kid was screaming by then. I could not get waited on-went up to bar finally and just told the waiter what I wanted. Bacon cheese burger and fries. Figured on giving the fries another go. 40 min later I got an inedible burger, bacon bits on it, cheese melted off. The waiter apologized for the week old bun, said they ran out of regular buns. I asked where my fries were and he forgot to order them on my ticket. I told him to skip it, ate 3 bites of my cold, juice-less burger on hard wheat bun-decided that was enough. Couldn't get waiter back to get my bill early so stood by cash register to clearly signal I was leaving. Waiter took my card and disappeared. 5 more minutes standing so I grabbed him as he went by-turns out he can't run cards-he had given it to someone in back. After 5, an older gentleman came out with the paperwork. I signed, left in disgust as the waitress and cook were fighting in front of the customers about why she wasn't moving fast enough.

True story.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by calicotraveler »

Sounds like the problems are serious there. They've got to get their act together soon. I won't go back until I start hearing something good about the restaurant. The first year is often tough for a new ownership but this sounds like things are extremely bad. :(
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by brindledog »

We have always stopped by Park Cafe on our way from the West to Many Glacier area. Typically, there is a long line and we end up getting take-out. Even with the waiting crowd, we get our 'to go' orders in a decent time.

So, we stopped there for dinner on Thursday, Aug 14. Got there about 7 pm. The place was 75% full, which shocked me. The parking lot was only 1/2 full. Again, not what I expected. There aren't a lot of options when you consider how many folks are trying to get eats on this side of the park. Our food was mediocre. I got the Turban, which was good, but it's hard to mess up a turkey sandwich. But the rest was comme ci, comme ca and, as others have noted, business was surprisingly slow.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by jamesdak »

Just reading this thread. I thought it was weird each time I went buy a couple of weeks ago and the place wasn't busy. All my other trips I had to decide if it was worth fighting the crowds to go there. Now it all makes sense.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by smahurin »

My wife and I drove by the park cafe around 7:30am on saturday August 16. Wasn't open yet. Not sure if they are no longer doing breakfast or this was a one time deal.

Drove by saturday evening around 5:30-ish. A few cars in the lot, but hardly full. Meanwhile Rising Sun Pizza a few doors down was full. I think the KOA owners timing of swapping their trading post for a pizzeria the same year the park cafe decided to have serious issues might work out pretty well.
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Re: Park Cafe Reopened Under New Ownership

Post by CDABackpacker »

The incidents described are not uncommon. I went in early July after a Belly River trip. A new backpacker accompanied me and I raved about a buffalo burger and berry pie at the Park Café.

I think it was around 5PM. It was crowded as usual. However there was only 2 wait staff. The guy who seated us has no experience running the floor. After seating us and getting us some iced tea he informed us we would have to get up and go outside, because other people were ahead of us and it was a mistake to seat us. While we were waiting I started hearing there was no pie, NO pie of any kind. They ran out of pie at 2PM.. I heard about other shortages so I went to the bar seating and asked if they had buffalo. They ran out and only chicken was available. My friend thought I was being a big baby wanting my usual and was mad, but we went to the St Mary's lodge. Quiet, clean, same price for the buffalo, but less fries than what I was used to at Park Café. But the window seat with a view was outstanding. Never going back to the Park Cafe. Owners of restaurants should know one very bad experience is going to result in permanent patronage somewhere else. Coming out of the backcountry we depend on what we expect.

The Polebridge store and deli changed owners but the food is the same. I have a place in Two Medicine I go to as well. Apgar Village does not have any place special, and I travel to Hungry Horse to eat.
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