After Five Decades, The Garden Cafe in Manhattan is Closing
For many years, residents of Manhattan and the surrounding area have been able to sit down for a homestyle breakfast or lunch at Nick's Garden Cafe, located on S. Broadway.
Sadly, Saturday, July 24 is the last day for patrons to enjoy a meal at the quaint small-town cafe. The restaurant will be open from 6:00 a.m. until they run out of food on Saturday.
Owner Niklaus Schmutz purchased the Garden Cafe in 1998 and has been serving locals for over 20 years.
The building that houses Nick's Garden Cafe was built in 1916. At that time, it was a theatre that hosted boxing matches, silent movies, and dances, as well as other events.
In 1925, an earthquake caused extensive to the building requiring it to be rebuilt. In 1926, Gallatin Valley Gardens opened and held similar events.
In the early 1970s, the original Garden Cafe opened its doors for business. Since then, it has been a local destination for farmers and locals to sit, enjoy a homecooked meal, and socialize about current events.
Go Fast Campers, a local company out of Belgrade, Montana that builds ultra-lightweight expedition grade, adventure-ready campers purchased the building and it will be used as an assembly center.
Since purchasing the cafe in 1998, Schmutz said he's had some really great times. The cafe has hosted many concerts. Posters from concerts held at Nick's Garden Cafe can be seen hanging on the walls of the establishment.
I want to thank all of my loyal customers. Closing the restaurant is bittersweet. I will miss a lot of things about it. I think I'm going to take it easy, do some volunteer work, and plan a trip to go on an archaeological dig for dinosaurs.
Nick's Garden Cafe owner Niklaus Schmutz said.