For the second summer in a row, Yellowknife’s iconic Wildcat Café will remain closed. This year, it’s because of lack of interest in running the restaurant.
Originally opened in 1937, the latest iteration of the café is owned by the City of Yellowknife, which farms out operation of the Wildcat to local businesses that pay at least a $2,000 monthly fee.
The café is set in a reconstructed vintage log cabin and considered by the city to be the community’s oldest restaurant.
In April, the city issued a request for proposals to run the café for the next two summer seasons, which ordinarily begin in May and run until September.
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However, a spokesperson this week told Cabin Radio nobody was interested.
“The Wildcat Café will not open for the 2021 season as no bids were received during the request for proposals process,” city spokesperson Alison Harrower said by email.
The Wildcat was first opened just a few years into Yellowknife’s history before falling into disuse from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The café reopened in 1979 and has since become a leading attraction, best-known to locals for its deck with views of Back Bay.
Last summer, the café’s Facebook page announced in mid-June that it would not open in 2020.
