Spring is looking a lot more (socially) grey than usual here in Southern Alberta.
The restaurants are closed, along with gyms, theatres and anywhere else we can usually enjoy the company of friendly faces.
But, hiding inside that dour news is at least one silver lining, and it’s a very bright, very silver lining indeed – patios are still open!
That means our sister restaurant, The Telegraph Taphouse is open for service every sunny day. Rumour has it their patio has been as full as regulations allow even when the weather’s doing its best to mess with everyone’s plan.
But, we’ve got even better news: our brand new, better-than-ever patio is now open.
So, now you can enjoy the great service, food and drink from the brand new Cattlemen’s Chophouse.
Built for these times
The patio wasn’t always going to happen this fast. After renovating the whole restaurant, we had initially thought now would be a good time to take a break and encourage people to come inside and enjoy all the hard work that went into the remodel.
But COVID had different ideas…
We got two whole days of showing off our new restaurant before we were told to close down yet again.
But, we didn’t let that keep us down – couldn’t let it keep us down! So, we took a moment to think of how we could soldier on, and then it hit us: everyone loves patios and they can stay open even during COVID.
So, we re-arranged some timetables and pushed the patio to the top of the list.
With this fire scorching at our heels, the progress was stunning.
The town of Picture Butte fast-tracked our permitting, so that we could start construction.
Then, we levelled the lot next to ours in days, getting the lot ready for local landscapers Exteme Scapes Inc. to come in and start laying stones. Together, the three landscapers put in 500 man hours, working from 6 am to 8 pm, to get the patio done in less than three weeks. After that, all we had to do was knock a hole in our dining room and shove a door in.
The results were fantastic.
The best excuse for a road trip
If you’re like just about everyone else, you haven’t left the house much recently.
Of course, you may have done a grocery run, left to get a vaccine, or went for a walk around the block, but it barely counts, does it?
If you’re yearning to be free of your home, why not take a road trip to the only restaurant open to sit and stay for miles?
Whether you’re on your motorbike, a classic car, or your daily commuter, it’s a beautiful drive out to Picture Butte. Depending on where you are in Lethbridge, Coaldale or Coalhurst (and if you want to take the long way) it’s anywhere from a 15-30 minute, scenic, relaxing drive.
So come on out to visit the new and improved Cattleman’s Chophouse patio – and bask in that glorious prairie sun!
