The iconic Chief Chiniki Restaurant will be celebrating its grand re-opening this weekend, nearly three years after arson took the original building.
“We are all excited,” said Lindsay Blackett, Chiniki band CEO.
“The Chiniki Restaurant has a long history with the Nations – it’s a place for people to go, a meeting spot, obviously a place to get food. It is a beautiful building that we take a lot of pride in and the area around it is an essential hub into the community.”
The grand re-opening of the Chief Chiniki Restaurant will be Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., located just off the Trans-Canada Highway and south of the community of Morley, approximately half-an-hour west of Cochrane. There will be entertainment, including native dancers and drummers as well as a barbecue.
“We welcome everyone and anybody to come out on Saturday and it should be a lot of fun,” Blackett said.
“[Chief Chiniki] is a great experience for anyone who comes here and we hope to attract a lot of business.”
The new menu will contain a wide variety of dishes from seafood, to North American food and a mixture of native cuisine with Asian influence, Blackett said.
“There is a little something for everybody there. They can expect good food in a very pleasant surrounding with a great view of the mountains and area,” Blackett exclaimed.
The former restaurant was completely burned to ground just over three years ago, August 2012, with an investigation following that resulted in four people being charged with arson, three of whom were minors. After the re-build, Chiniki band officials weighed out options for the new restaurant and gas bar, deciding to lease out the businesses (not band-run). Despite leasing out the new gas bar and restaurant, Blackett assures the new owners have great working relations with the Chiniki band.
“[The owners] know the Nation, they have working experience with the Nation for many years – they respect who we are and where we are. And while they want to make the experience profitable for them, it helps the community as well,” Blackett commented.
“Most of the workers [are] from Morley, most of them from the Chiniki band itself, but we are open to others.”
For the past couple of weeks, the new owners opened the restaurant to the public as a ‘soft opening’ to work out all the kinks, according to Blackett.
The building itself is located next to the Chief Chiniki gas bar, described by Blackett as a beautiful building with a great architectural design.
“It is long overdue and we are happy to have it done,” Blackett said.
“Happy to have our cultural hub open again but most importantly be able to put our best foot forward and show what the nation is capable of.”
After the grand re-opening, the Chief Chiniki Restaurant will run throughout the year and continue with a campaign to increase traffic, which is expected to launch spring 2016.
