Lookout Mountain’s next vendor will focus on Native American food and goods

As it re-envisions the amenities at Lookout Mountain Denver s parks department wants the next vendor by Buffalo Bill s Grave to showcase Native American cuisine and way of life Denver Parks and Recreation made a formal appeal for vendors selling indigenous food and merchandise last month according to the request form available online The city expects to select one business in the fall to lead concessions at Lookout Mountain on Lookout Mountain Road in Golden for the next three to five years Helen H Richardson The Denver PostBill Carle the former proprietor of the Pahaska Tepee Gift Shop and Cafe shows a historic photo The city is seeking a new vendor to take over the space Photo by Helen H Richardson The Denver Post The decision to spotlight indigenous cuisine and products is somewhat of a class correction for the mountain s tourist attractions Along with the burial site of William Buffalo Bill Cody and the monumental views of the Front Range a museum adjacent to the presently shuttered concessions is dedicated to the th-century traveling marksman and his Wild West touring company I think selected of the storytelling about Buffalo Bill has really been from Buffalo Bill s perspective and the European American perspective and this is a great opportunity to balance that out noted Shannon Dennison director of Denver Mountain Parks It s a way to tell a broader story The Carle family ran concessions as the Pahaska Teepee Gift Shop and Cafe for nearly seven decades featuring Buffalo Bill memorabilia and other goods that called back to old Westerns and included specific Native American stereotypes such as tomahawks and cigar store Indians Bill Carle who lived above the store from until the end of described The Denver Post last year that he removed the tomahawks in an effort to sanitize his offerings Having grown up here and being surrounded by cowboys and Indians my whole life it just doesn t hit me that any of our items are insensitive he stated then But in the end he felt like they just want us out When the city closed the -year-old building last year which forced Carle to move a spokesperson stated The Denver Post it was because it has seen a lot of deterioration in its operational uses the plumbing septic system things like that We need full unobstructed access into the building in order to look at all of that and see how much it can hold Parks planners expect the incoming vendor to run concessions at Pahaska the Sioux nickname for Buffalo Bill on a more limited scale as they embark on a longer rehabilitation of the park according to the vendor request form The city also expects the eventual vendor or vendors to find their own financial backing install their own kitchen and dining equipment and oversee repairs and general maintenance of the concessions area Dennison reported the focus on indigenous values came from visitors desires for a more authentic experience atop Lookout Mountain The city is encouraging applicants who can also effort educational events on indigenous lifestyle The menu at Pahaska should reflect traditional and or contemporary Native American dishes utilizing purposefully sourced ingredients whenever accomplishable the form reads The retail area will feature indigenous-made products locally sourced and or crafted goods and educational and park-related materials such as Native American jewelry art and history books Buffalo Bill s Wild West-themed goods are still expected to line the shelves as Dennison and the parks department still want the concessions to tie to the original theme of the park Related Articles Can Denver fix its messy restaurant dilemma with a new industry liaison Colorado announces digital passport as part of state s th anniversary Two-night EDM concert coming to Telluride in August The prettiest places in the U S that you ll need a lottery permit to visit Hiking reservations for iconic Hanging Lake available Monday The city will contract with either one vendor for all services or a company that manages subcontractors to run different parts of the concessions according to the form It s a pretty niche arrangement so at this point I m not sure what to expect Dennison noted I m just excited to see what all is out there In its last three years of operation the Pahaska Teepee Gift Shop and Cafe grossed an average of million in revenue according to the parks department Average annual water bills amounted to just one of the utility costs along with electric and septic The parks department will issue an official request for proposals in the summer and execute a contract in the fall according to the vendor form Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox