history

For decades in the late 1800's, the location of The Albany was a curio shop for tourists coming through on Cheyenne trains. Constructed about 1872, shortly after Cheyenne was founded, G.L. Taylor's Curiosities sold souvenirs including examples of taxidermic arts, and also housed the "English House," a small hotel. 

By 1905, Taylor's gave way for the construction of Henry Becker's Hotel Becker. Back when Cheyenne was known as "The Magic City," Hotel Becker was the newest in town. It featured LeBarron's restaurant, owned by William LeBarron, and was one of the first to host private baths in the rooms. It was intended to compete with the famous Inter Ocean Hotel down the street.

In July 1909, the Burlington railroad arranged with the City for the use of the alley between The Becker Hotel and The Normandie Hotel (now the Wrangler) to extend its tracks to the Colorado lines. But there was a difficulty, the alley was too narrow. The idea was to buy and tear down the buildings in the way, but the Becker Hotel would have to be picked up and moved. Its owner flatly refused. The railroad finally bought the hostelry from Becker. In 1910, he built another hotel around the corner on 15th street, which still bears his name.

Dozens of hydraulic jacks lifted the old Becker and slowly moved it forty-four feet closer to the Union Pacific depot. An old saloon next to the hotel was torn down to make room. The task was arduous, time-consuming, and even made national news. Bookies made wagers whether the hotel would survive. It did, and not a brick was shaken loose!

Only one track ever came down between the buildings, rather than the planned two. In November 1910, the first passenger train pulled down the alley from the west and stopped next to the CB&Q depot across Capitol Avenue.

Following the move, the Hotel was renovated and reopened as the Hotel Albany.

During the next few decades and coming into the early 1940's, the building was owned by Adolph Coors Jr.

In 1942, it was sold to the Kallas Family, and they opened The New Albany Café. We still have the same mahogany booths in the restaurant!

What is currently The Albany Bar was once The Depot Exchange Café, then The Kabis Café and later The Stockman's Bar. The Stockman's Bar was here when the Kallas family purchased The Albany in 1942. The owner of Stockman's paid the Kallas family rent every month up until the late 1970's. After Stockman's closed, it took the Kallas's a few years to obtain a liquor license. In 1979 they opened The Albany Bar.

The Continental Trailways bus stop also holds a part of the building's history. Prior to the construction of a separate bus station, Union Pacific Stages maintained its Cheyenne office in the Albany Hotel. It ultimately became affiliated with Trailways. What is now the Liquormart was used as a bus garage from 1955 to 1982. It also had a small coffee shop. The offices for the bus station were located on the second floor next to the Hotel Office. When the bus station moved, the use of the Hotel upstairs shut down as well. With an empty space to fill, they remodeled the bus garage and coffee shop. In 1991 they opened the Liquormart. The brick archways that the buses pulled through are still intact, keeping the history alive.

In 2021, after nearly 80 years, the Kallas Family retired. Over the generations, they built a reputation for a hospitable atmosphere and great food. The Albany Restaurant Bar and Liquormart was acquired by Brian Bau. Brian himself has a long history with The Albany. He fondly recalls family trips to Cheyenne with his grandfather Arch Deuel, and a visit to the restaurant was always a part of the trip. His business, Archco, is named after his grandfather, who gave him his first glimpse of The Albany.

Known as a mainstay for locals and guests alike, the ambiance and unique culture of The Albany have been a staple in downtown Cheyenne for many decades. We know there are many more memories to be made across the tables of our restaurant.

Our Vision:

In our restaurants, we welcome people home. We create a delightful experience that leaves our Guests and Team feeling like Family.