MOOSE JAW — The Burger Cabin, one of Moose Jaw’s favourite mouth-watering summertime hangouts for over 30 years, is officially open after being closed for more than five years.
“Well, I think we’re ready. It’s been a long time coming, so we’re pretty excited,” Sheri Logan, who co-owns the burger-focused business with her husband, Jamey, said on April 29. “I know the staff are all excited and ready (too).”
— — last September and began planning, ordering equipment, upgrading the venue and making other changes.
“It’s been a place we’ve loved for a long time, and I know (we), like a lot of other people in town, really missed it,” said Mrs. Logan. “And Jamey actually reached out to the (previous) owners (including Carol Wray Sooker) and said, ‘If you guys are ever looking to sell, let us know as it’s something we may be interested in.’
“And the opportunity came up and it was too good to pass up. And here we are.”
While the Logans have changed part of the menu, most of the familiar food choices remain. Meanwhile, they built more storage, upgraded the freezers and purchased new deep fryers, stoves and ice cream machines.
Said Mr. Logan, “I’m super excited about it. I’m nervous, of course, because it’s big shoes to fill. This place fed a lot of people for a long time … .
“We’re also nervous because there are so many people waiting to come down,” he continued. “When they do find out we’re open, there’s going to be a lot of folks in line. And we’re going to do our best to serve those folks … .”
The couple owned Super Meats Catering for more than 10 years, while they ran the concessions at several rinks for many years, so both felt comfortable operating in the food world again.
The Logans quietly opened the Burger Cabin on the April 25 weekend and invited friends and family to test the food while training staff. The couple continued training staff — 28 in total, with one former employee returning — on April 28, with employees serving anyone who walked up.
Mrs. Logan noted that there was a lineup for supper, with many people excitedly posting pictures to social media. Meanwhile, she said they are having a soft opening for several days to see what the reception is like and to work out the kinks; she expected this weekend to be busy because of the warm weather.
Mr. Logan said he was “super happy” to have a great piece of property behind the building for customers to sit and eat. The co-owners purchased 25 new picnic tables for that area, plus benches, chairs and kids’ toys. They also plan to use resources from their fencing business to fix the nearby parking lot.
Mr. Logan recalled speaking with a customer who had frequented the Burger Cabin regularly in its heyday and was excited for it to reopen. He noted that she had an actual tear in her eye while telling him how happy she was to eat an ice cream near the river.
“So that was cool. Stories like that are what we need to hear,” he added.
The Burger Cabin’s temporary hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., although it will be open until 9 p.m. once the weather warms up. Follow the business on Facebook.
Business history
According to a plaque near the Burger Cabin, the original River Park Cabin was built in the late 1920s and operated until the mid-1940s.
In 1958, Trix and Chic Wray and a partner purchased the Swing Inn Drive-in and operated the venue as a seasonal business selling hamburgers and hotdogs; the couple and their three kids lived in the back. The couple also acquired a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise for the community after that finger-lickin’ good food hit the market.
Meanwhile, the Swing Inn thrived and, many times during 2-for-1 snack specials, customers lined up for blocks for the savings; many customers also enjoyed the beautiful garden surrounding the building.
However, the entire valley was flooded in April 1974, with water levels four feet up the windows of the building. The Swing Inn sat vacant for 13 years before the Wray family demolished it and rebuilt the structure to look like the original River Park Cabin. The Wrays then operated the business until 2020, when the pandemic
