Over the last 70 years, many restaurants have come and gone in Calgary. But there’s always been one constant: the Blackfoot Truckstop Diner.
The diner, which was opened by Edna Taylor in 1956, is one of Calgary’s most beloved eateries, and every visit is like a step back in time.
The iconic spot is unlike anywhere else in Calgary, featuring bright pink walls, cozy vinyl booths, vintage jukeboxes, the model train running around the perimeter, and friendly staff.
One of the employees who has been with Blackfoot Truckstop Diner throughout its long history is general manager Alex Abernethy.
Abernethy told Dished he began working as a dishwasher at the diner when he was 14 years old. It was his first job ever. He ended up staying at Blackfoot for a few years before moving on. After Taylor passed away in 2011, the family asked Abernethy to return.
“I came in on my first day nervous, opened a drawer, and the same stuff that was in the drawer 20 years ago was still in the drawer. It was like I never left,” he said.
A Calgary success story
In an industry as fickle as restaurants, how does a low-key diner manage to stick around with minimal social media presence? Abernethy believes the diner’s continuing popularity is largely due to the nostalgia associated with it.
“It’s got such a 50s vibe. We haven’t really changed anything. When you walk in here,
it still smells the same,” he explained.
Another contributing factor is the familiarity with the staff, with two of the longest-standing team members, Linda and Lois, serving customers for 35 and 31 years, respectively.
Charlie Hart/Dished
“We have staff who’ve been here for 20 years. We have staff who’ve been here for 15 years, 10 years, and it’s a generational thing. You come to the restaurant, you get seated by your server, and she’ll probably be your server 10 years from now,” he said.
While the staff have stuck around serving coffee, breakfasts, and pie by the slice for decades, much of the clientele has also remained the same over the years.
“We have customers that have been coming since Edna opened, which is pretty amazing. And then we have people that were here, like me, when I was a kid and now bring their own kids here,” Abernethy said.
The menu
Charlie Hart/Dished
While the space and staff provide nostalgia by the bucketload, Blackfoot Diner’s menu has also barely changed over the years. Classics like the liver have been served up for 40 years, Abernethy shared.
“It’s all done in-house. Our beef dip is done in-house; we’ve kept all of our main Blackfoot originals pretty much the same. We don’t really have plans to change,” he said.
And why would they? The spot offers classic diner fare, such as loaded breakfasts and burgers. Of course, Flapper Pie might be its most iconic menu item, with each slice standing at sic inches tall with layers of crust, custard and towering meringue.
“If you haven’t tried a Flapper, it’s definitely something you’ve got to try. It’s an Alberta legacy. We just do it our own way, and we have the whole time we’ve been around,” Abernethy added.
“Edna’s motto was ‘nobody leaves this restaurant hungry,’ so plates are always full.”
Charlie Hart/Dished
70 years on
Blackfoot Diner’s popularity shows no sign of slowing down, almost 70 years on. On weekends, Abernethy said the diner will regularly serve around 1,500 people per day.
While there aren’t any huge changes in the works, the diner did get its first patio over the summer, which will be the site of its 70th-anniversary celebration.
“We’re going to do a big patio party next year before our Stampede Breakfast, and that’s going to be a huge thing. It’s going to commemorate the 70 years of business. We’ve been a diner icon in this city since the beginning,” Abernethy said.
So here’s to many more years of the Blackfoot Truckstop Diner and many more slices of Flapper Pie to come.
Blackfoot Truckstop Diner
Address: 1840 9th Avenue SE, Calgary
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