Hori Cafe Building

This Whitefish landmark has a long and colorful history centered on the Japanese immigrant M.M. Hori, who came to the Flathead Valley as a house-boy for the family of Charles Conrad, a major figure in the founding of Kalispell. Conrad gave Hori 10 acres of Whitefish land, and Hori soon became a successful truck farmer. In the early 20th century, Hori opened a cafe and bakery in the north part of this building, and in 1918 he bought what was then called the Northern Hotel just to the south. He made extensive improvements to the buildings and operated the Hori Cafe and Hotel until his death in 1931; his wife continued operating it until it was leased to C.C.C. Smith in 1942. Smith's business closed after only a couple of months, and the building remained empty until Jack Erinton bought it at a court sale in 1944 and reopened it as The Palm Hotel, leasing its operation to longtime residents Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Mackey. In 1946, the cafe section was converted into a store, later occupied by several small, short-lived businesses. Local businessman Jack Sesler and his family purchased the building in the late 1970's, cleaned it up, and renamed it The Remington, with a fine-dining restaurant called Frederic's. The building has had a succession of owners since the Seslers sold it in the mid-80's, and it entered the 21st century under the ownership of Ted Sproul, featuring a casino and Italian restaurant.

Whitefish, Montana · United States