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Yavapai Lodge opening new restaurant and tavern
Southwestern themed facilties open June 22 and July 3

The Yavapai Cafeteria has undergone a remodel and now includes a tavern. Loretta Yerian/WGCN

The Yavapai Cafeteria has undergone a remodel and now includes a tavern. Loretta Yerian/WGCN

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - In the next two weeks, a southwestern barbecue themed restaurant and tavern will open at Yavapai Lodge.

The historic lodge is located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park across from the General Store.

The newly renovated resaturant will replace the Yavapai Cafeteria formerly associated with the lodge and is set to open on June 22 with a tavern opening July 3.

Brittany Bauer, sales and marketing coordinator for Delaware North, a concessionaire operating the lodge for the national park, said the company believes the remodeled restaurant and new tavern will be a compliment the property.

"I think it is a very attractive piece to have and it will definitely help put our name out there - having that Yavapai name," she said. "Moving forward, we think only good things can come from it."

Yavapai Lodge opened for the season in March, however, the remodel to the restaurant and tavern took a little longer to complete.

The restaurant will offer a variety of dishes that will be available throughout the day.

In an email, Delaware North General Manager John Kenny said the restaurant will be open during the summer from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the tavern will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day.

"The Tavern has a separate bar food menu, but is closely themed to that of the Yavapai Restaurant," Kenny said. "The Yavapai Lodge will also include a full service coffee shop with hours from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m."

In addition to the restaurant and tavern, the lodge recently opened a new gift shop that adjoins the lobby of the lodge.

Replacing the cafeteria style dining with the restaurant and adding a tavern and gift shop were a big investment for the lodge - an investment they believe will pay off in the end.

"It will be nice to have both of those elements and everything open all together," Bauer said. "Being able to offer our guests dining facilities and tavern in addition to the gift shop here - it will be great."

The lodge took into careful consideration the traditional style and cultural significance of the building while planning the renovation and the tavern.

"The entire lodge, once completed, will have been renovated, taking into careful consideration the cultural and architectural importance of the building," Kenny said.

Staying true to the southwest themes for the buildings are the dishes they plan to serve - dishes that include traditional southwestern flavors along with thoughtful items for the lodge's international audience.

"There is a continental and a full breakfast. The breakfast will have sausage, eggs, ham, cold cereal and there will be potatoes as well to kind of go with the southwestern theme," Bauer said. "We have to cater to a large international group as well, so I think we have a rice option in there,"

Lunch and dinner will offer similar dishes and will include a southwestern element as well.

"Lunch will be salads, dinner is chicken, steak and things like that....barbecue items," Bauer said. "There will still be salads, soups, chili, sandwiches and we will still have a selection of beers and wines as well. We are trying to be very consistent with the southwestern theme."

According to Bauer breakfast is not complimentary with an overnight stay at the lodge but breakfast options can be purchased in a bundled package.

"We do have packages that will have vouchers," she said. "We do have a voucher program and we have a pizza delivery to rooms and a to go option, but nothing is delivered (to rooms)."

You do not have to be a guest at the lodge in order to enjoy dining options at the restaurant and tavern as they are both open to the public.

The tavern is a full service bar and will sell a variety of draft beers, bottled beers, wines and specialty cocktails.

The restaurant and tavern are located in the same building, at the Yavapai Lodge, but are located in different areas of the lodge.

According to Bauer, Yavapai Lodge is excited for the new prospects the facilities have to offer and said they anticipate a positive response from the public.

"We are very confident that we are going to get a very good, positive reaction," Bauer said. "(We are) very excited for the restaurant opening, just with all of the work that has gone into it as well as the tavern being a new concept - we are extremely excited for that."


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