Pursuit buys Eddie's Cafe in Apgar Village in Glacier National Park

Pursuit announced Friday it had purchased Eddie’s Café & Mercantile and the associated Apgar Lookout Retreat in Glacier National Park from businessman Brian Kelly.

Located in Apgar Village, which is a small village inside the park at the foot of Lake McDonald, the property features the Apgar Lookout Retreat, the only five-star accommodation in Glacier National Park. It also includes a go-to restaurant, gift shop, camp supply, and ice-cream shop frequented by both visitors and community members for more than 60 years.

Terms were not immediately released.

"We landed on what we feel is a fair market value," said Gary Rodgers, Chief Operating Officer, Pursuit’s Pacific Northwest.

He said the Retreat will open Dec. 20 for winter guests. The purchase also included an adjacent dormitory.

Kelly, who previously owned the Izaak Walton Inn, built the Apgar Lookout Retreat over top of Eddie’s. It opened in November 2023. Kelly said the architecture was inspired by the Lake McDonald Lodge.

The property dovetails into Pursuit’s other holdings in Apgar and West Glacier, as it owns cabins, a motel and shops just to the north of Eddie’s. It also owns most of the commercial real estate and businesses in the town of West Glacier and the Belton Chalet across Highway 2. It bought the chalet property in 2019, and the West Glacier holdings in 2014.

In 2022 the company bought Glacier Raft Co. and related lodging in West Glacier.

The company also owns the St. Mary Lodge on the east side of Glacier and the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier Park.

For years, the company operated as Glacier Park Incorporated, which also ran the lodges inside of Glacier National Park as well as the red bus fleet.

But Xanterra Parks and Resorts secured that 16-year contract in January 2014, ending a decades-long relationship between GPI and Glacier that dated back to the Great Northern Railroad.

Kelly sold the Izaak Walton Inn to Lodge Camps in 2022.

“As a company with a deep history of operating exceptional hospitality experiences in and near Glacier National Park – first as Glacier Park Inc and more recently as Pursuit, we are focused on providing sustainable and meaningful visitor experiences while honoring the communities in which we live, work and recreate,” said Rob Spence, Vice President, Glacier Park Collection by Pursuit in a release. “This is a commitment that has formed the foundation of our experiences and today, we warmly welcome Eddie’s Café & Mercantile to Pursuit.”

“Eddie’s has been a favorite for many years among locals and visitors alike,” said Kelly in a release. “It should be enjoyed for years to come, and I believe that with Pursuit’s commitment to creating elevated experiences while honoring the significance of our community, it will be.”

“At Pursuit, we are focused on keeping our history vibrant and meaningful while re-investing in these incredible places and within our local communities. We are committed to the long-term investment of this well recognized property, in creating an exceptional experience for guests and staff, as well as continuing to support West Glacier and the Flathead Valley as a meaningful, multi-season visitor destination,” said Rodgers.