Province wants to reopen shuttered restaurant at Rutherford House

The provincial government is working to revive a former restaurant inside the Rutherford House.

The Rutherford House, which sits on Saskatchewan Drive on the University of Alberta Campus, is a provincial historic site that spotlights the history of the province’s first premier, Alexander Cameron Rutherford.

There used to be a restaurant inside the building until 2012, when it was closed down due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Now, Alberta Culture and Tourism wants to reopen the restaurant facility with “reasonably priced, high-quality lunch and afternoon tea menu items.”

“We are reopening the restaurant to meet local demand and working to bring it back as an integral part of the Rutherford House experience,” said Olga Fowler, area manager for seasonal sites for Alberta Culture and Tourism.

“The restaurant should reflect the Edwardian elegance of the facility in its menu, appearance and service, being sympathetic to the themes of the museum, the lifestyle of the Rutherfords, their cultural traditions and the heritage of Edmonton in the C. 1915 era,” reads a request for proposal from Alberta Culture and Tourism.

Despite the restaurant’s previous closing, Fowler said the province will work to ensure the restaurant is a success.

“This is a great opportunity for the vendor to be creative and to be a part of a unique historic site. As a business opportunity, the vendor will be responsible for determining their minimum revenue level based on their definition of success and the contract requirements,” she said.

The restaurant is expected to meet the needs of the general public, university faculty and students, business groups, birthday party planners as well as bridal shower planners. It is also intended to run year-round.

Fowler said the return of the restaurant is expected to increase visitor numbers to the historic site.

The contractor is expected to pay an annual fee of five per cent of the restaurant’s gross revenue to the province. Fowler said that money will be reinvested back into the marketing and maintenance of the house as well as program development.

A vendor is expected to be selected in mid-January with an estimated restaurant opening in spring 2017.