Inspired by Lake McDonald Lodge, Eddie’s gets a makeover

Inspired by the Lake McDonald Lodge, Eddie’s Cafe and Mercantile will have a new look when it opens this spring.

Owner Brian Kelly has been overseeing a remodel of the Apgar landmark in Glacier National Park from late last year through the winter.

The Mercantile is scheduled to open May 8, he said last week, while the restaurant will open Memorial Day weekend.

The building now features a total of six rental units above the restaurant and gift shop, with a mix of one and two-bedroom rooms for rent.

That work will continue into the summer. He said Glacier’s harsh winter set the project back about a month.

He said the hope is to have the rental units available by August.

He said when he first took on the project he consulted with the Park Service’s landscape architect on ideas for the building. He wanted something that would fit with the Swiss-style architecture of Glacier’s lodges.

Eddies, before the remodel, didn’t exactly fit in.

As crews begin finish work on the facade, it looks more and more like a classic Glacier Park Lodge, though the superstructure is steel, not logs.

“The vision is starting to come together,” Kelly said.

Eddie’s has been in business in Apgar for more than 60 years.

It was founded by Eddie Brewster, who bought it from Bill Mackin in 1946. Thus the name Eddie’s, which has stuck ever since.