After Bridgette Bar, Calgary's Concorde Group Opens Second Canmore Restaurant

One of Calgary's largest restaurant groups is expanding its presence in Canmore with the opening of Hunter Steakhouse, which the company says builds on its growing relationship with the Bow Valley and responds to what it sees as an opportunity for a dedicated steakhouse in the community.

Hunter opened June 26 beside Bridgette Bar in Spring Creek. Both restaurants are owned by Concorde Entertainment Group, making Hunter the company's second Canmore location. Joe Dort, Concorde Entertainment Group's director of brand and special projects, said the warm reception Bridgette Bar has received in the Bow Valley, combined with the opportunity to expand into the neighbouring space, made the decision a natural fit.

"We felt like there was an opportunity in the Canmore community for a more dedicated steakhouse concept," he said. "Something that is really focused on a beautiful beef program and live-fire cooking."

Dort said the concept's emphasis on premium beef and live-fire cooking felt uniquely suited to Spring Creek's mountain setting and views of the Three Sisters.

The restaurant deliberately opted for a quieter launch focused on the local community. The company limited reservations during its opening weekend to help staff deliver the experience it envisioned while sharing the new restaurant with guests and several local community leaders.

Dort said the company wanted Hunter to feel like a restaurant that belonged to the Canmore community and the greater Bow Valley.

The staff have continued that measured approach by gradually expanding reservation availability rather than immediately filling every available table. Dort said the company intentionally limited bookings after opening so staff could focus on delivering the experience it envisioned before gradually increasing capacity.

Even as reservations expand, the restaurant continues to hold back roughly 15 to 20% of its available seating for walk-in guests.

"We didn't want to make it a tough ticket," Dort said.

He said Hunter is intended to appeal equally to diners celebrating a special occasion and those simply dropping in after a day outdoors.

"They don't need to feel like this is a rarefied or special occasion restaurant," he said. "We really want it to be a space that people can make their own, whether that is a birthday or an anniversary or some other celebration, or it's just, 'Hey, I feel like a craveable classic and a quick drink.'"

The restaurant's kitchen was built around a Spanish-made Josper grill that combines charcoal, hardwood and precise temperature control. Dort said the grill is unique to Hunter and that both the kitchen and menu were designed around it.

Building on that live-fire approach, Hunter's menu centres on steakhouse classics such as wedge salad, shrimp cocktail, steak tartare and premium cuts of beef.

Hunter's beef program features Alberta-raised Longhorn cattle from Buhler Farms near Three Hills alongside Canada Prime, Benchmark Angus and Japanese A5 Wagyu. Dort said the live-fire cooking system allows the restaurant to showcase premium beef by creating caramelization, a deep crust and the rich umami flavours that come from cooking over charcoal and hardwood.

Early feedback has been positive, Dort said, with guests embracing the restaurant while also offering feedback the company takes seriously.

Guests have also responded positively to the restaurant's interior, designed by Calgary-based Frank Architecture, as well as its curated artwork and subtle design details intended to be discovered throughout the space.

Among the early menu favourites have been classic steakhouse dishes such as the wedge salad and French onion soup, along with chilled seafood platters featuring fresh oysters, chilled shrimp, lobster salad, scallop crudo and snow crab claws.

"We were surprised there were more than we had anticipated," Dort said of the seafood towers. "People were really coming in and just saying, 'I want to have a seafood tower and a few martinis or a glass of white wine and sit and soak in this room and these views.'"

While the name Hunter may initially suggest hunting or wildlife, Dort said the concept is meant to reflect people's pursuit of memorable experiences rather than the act of hunting itself.

"There's this simple human truth that we are all pursuing something or hunting for something, whether that's a great meal or a connection or a celebration, privacy, escape," he said. "We really hope that this space is going to be for people and they can make it their own. We really want you to seek no more when you're in this space."

The opening marks Concorde's latest investment in Canmore as the company continues expanding its presence in the Bow Valley.