Mitchell’s Café Downtown. Web image
Beloved downtown café Mitchell’s to close after more than 30 years
FORT MCMURRAY, AB. — A beloved fixture of downtown Fort McMurray is preparing to say goodbye. Mitchell’s Café, known for its hearty soups, eclectic sandwiches and signature Sunshine Bread, will serve its final customers on Sept. 27.
Housed in the community’s original RCMP detachment, Mitchell’s has been more than a place to grab lunch. For more than three decades it has been a gathering spot, a date night destination, and the first stop many locals would take visitors to show off a taste of Fort McMurray.
The café’s announcement came Saturday in a heartfelt message posted to social media. “After much thought, we have made the hard decision to close our doors. Our last day serving up sandwiches and coffee will be Saturday September 27,” it read. “This little shop has been more than just a takeout stop – it’s been part of your lunch breaks, road trips, early mornings, and quick pick-me-ups. We’ll miss seeing your faces at the counter more than we can say.”
Mitchell’s Café closing message
The message quickly went viral, drawing hundreds of shares and sparking an outpouring of memories. One former employee said his first job at Mitchell’s taught him the value of hard work, lessons that “helped me excel further in life than ever before.” Others recalled first dates and milestones spent at its tables.
“It was more than a sandwich shop,” one patron wrote. “It was a piece of Fort McMurray, a monument in our region that showed the best of who we are.”
Mitchell’s closure marks the end of a chapter shaped by floods, fires, a pandemic and what owners fondly described as “a whole lotta sunshine.” In the coming weeks, the café is expected to be filled once more with long lines of customers eager to relive old memories and savour one last taste of a place many called a gem of downtown.
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