13550 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676
Roadhouse Lodging, Meals & Bakery · Hospitality Property For Sale · 5,600 SF

The Talkeetna Roadhouse has been serving up heaps of food, hosting overnight guests and providing a community gathering space in the original log structure since 1944, prior to that as a supply station in 1917, supporting gold mining efforts in the hills along the base of the Alaska Range. The town itself was established in 1915. There are only a handful of buildings on the three blocks that comprise Main Street and the roadhouse is one of three 'legacy' businesses operating (Nagley's General Store and the Historic Fairview Inn being the other two). Today the town thrives on a solid, robust tourist season - fed primarily by cruise ship guests brought in by train or motor coach as part of the 'land portion' of their Alaska cruise. Talkeetna is the base for mountaineering attempts in the Alaska Range (anchored by Denali, North America's tallest peak). Climbing Season gives us n early jump in mid-April, ahead of the tourist season. Talkeetna has become a premier destination for booking flight-seeing tours year round. Increased tourism has allowed the growth of other activities over the last 20+ years (dog mushing, fat tire biking, fishing, river rafting, zip lining, brewery tours, farm tours, jet boating) as well as cultural attractions (a number of great eateries, museum, Park Ranger Station, gift shops, gallery, arts center, live music, nature trails) creating a 'must-see/must do' reputation for Talkeetna amongst resident Alaskans and out-of-state/international visitors alike. The Roadhouse sits on two combined city lots on Main Street. On the property there is the main log building (1917) with attached frame buildings (kitchen, bakery and rooms, 1944/80s); one 10x20 cabin (overnight rental); one 20x20 two story log barn (dry storage/in-house laundry, 1917). Parking on C Street. All kitchen, laundry, office equipment as well as all room, office, kitchen and dining furnishings come with the sale. Other items included: 10-passenger van; Recipe & Procedures book; Website; all inventory; all social media accounts. Restaurant & Bakery: Breakfast at the Talkeetna Roadhouse falls under both the 'activity' and the 'cultural attraction' heading, is the main meal of the day (we refer to Lunch as 'Not Breakfast') and is served well past Noon. Seating is family-style at large tables in three different, connected rooms. The bakery counter opens at early and stops over-the-counter sales in the late evening. Overall our menu and bakery offerings are simple (we only scramble the eggs... roadhouse tradition) and all made from scratch. Our four varieties of cinnamon rolls are now world famous (Frosty, Sticky, Nutty, Razzy). Our Ginger Molasses Cookie are so popular that we've now offered it up in a Cookie Subscription. In addition, the bakery produces pies, cakes, scones, daily breads (including Square Buns), brownies and a variety of cookies. In the winter months we've created a Pie Making Class (three class times available on the weekends) that we both sell ourselves and contract through the Alaska Railroad as a full overnight package. Lodging: Overnight accommodations consist of five private guest rooms as well as a four person co-ed hostel-style Bunk Room in the Main building. Bathrooms are "down the hall," in typical roadhouse fashion, with the two downstairs private rooms having their own sinks. A rustic dry cabin is just outside the back door, adjacent to the two story storage barn. Currently we have a lease to manage overnight stays in the Museum Apartment over the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum (the original one-room schoolhouse). This lease can be negotiated with a new owner. Laundry & Showers: As a full service roadhouse, we also operate a three-washer/four-dryer Coin-op laundromat and sell showers to the public year round. We sell the local Transit passes at our Desk and the roadhouse is a downtown winter stop on their schedule. Our back room, which functions as our third dining room during the booming summer and winter weekend business, is a cozy, book-filled space that hosts committee meetings, book clubs and acts as a safe place for after-school kids to do homework or visitors and other locals to read, visit or get on their computers. Competition: The Talkeetna Roadhouse is so unique in its model and its historic significance to the town that there can really be no direct and equal competition. Even as we've seen more accommodation options flood the summer market (AirB&B specifically) we have not seen a slowdown of our own occupancy. If anything, having more overnight offerings available in the area helps increase total visitation, meaning, we can sell more breakfasts and bakery to those people. Increased dining options in town allowed us to focus on breakfast, bakery and rooms. Growth & Expansion: The Roadhouse brand itself is highly recognizable within the state and valued for the authentic experience it represents. Our Family-Style Breakfasts have been developed for scheduled tour groups of 12-40 per seating, allowing us to still accommodate our walk-in customers. As more mid-size tour operators include Talkeetna in their itinerary we are building our Box Lunch and our special bakery order accounts, enabling us to give folks a taste of the Roadhouse when their schedules do not otherwise allow a full experience. DURING THE PANDEMIC: Operations have adjusted rather dramatically. The business website has complete details, but the gist of the changes are as follows: overnight rooms now have bathrooms assigned to them (down the hall, but private); public laundry and showers no longer available to walk-in public; general public restaurant not open, but overnight guests have the option of having a set-menu Roadhouse Sourdough Breakfast served to them; a walk-up bakery window was built in order to sell cinnamon rolls, fruit pasties, cookies etc. on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer. Until we are solidly through the pandemic and large percentages of all ages can be vaccinated it would be reckless to encourage folks to sit side-by-side at the big indoor tables. Not as many folks get to experience the Roadhouse at the moment, but those that do are grateful to have a safe place to do so and really appreciate the historic moment (second pandemic for the main log buildings) through which we are all getting through together.