Banff's long-time restaurateur offers famous Ticino (2023)

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After 44 years, almost 40 tons of cheese and 130,000 fondues, Banff's popular Swiss Italian restaurant, Ticino, is changing hands.

Owners Erwin Widmer and his wife, Lorraine Widmer-Carson, will serve their last meal to guests on May 28th when they retire and hand over the keys on June 1st.

“It has been a privilege to share my Swiss roots and raise a family in Banff. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing,' says Erwin Widmer. "All good things must come to an end."

Like the restaurant, Widmer is an institution in the mountain town, having arrived in the late 1960s from his native Switzerland as a skier and traveler. He worked for Canadian Mountain Holidays for two seasons and then was the food and beverage manager during the opening of the Banff Park Lodge in 1978. He even tossed trays of beer and pizza into two restaurants that predated the original Ticino on Wolf Street.

He worked briefly as a guide for Mike Wiegele's heli-skiing company before buying Ticino in 1979 from another local legend, George Schwarz, co-owner with his brother Andre Schwarz of the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. They opened Ticino for the first time in 1974 at 204 Wolf St. After purchasing it, Widmer operated there until they moved in 1995 to 415 Banff Ave.

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The family will continue to be involved in the community with son Matthew and son-in-law Keith Robinson, owners of Canmore's Wild Life Distillery, daughter Angela Helie with Afterglow Lifestyle Coaching and son Phillip, a mountain guide. Widmer-Carson is a community advocate, author, and founder of Grassroots Gratitude, which conducts leadership workshops.

"We're an ongoing concern," jokes Widmer-Carson.

One of Ticino's hallmarks is its tendency to host - often for free - alpine sports teams, mountaineers, athletes and artists, diplomats and music stars who visit Banff for training, matches or performances. Names that have graced the restaurant are Swiss ski champions Michela Figini and Maria Walliser and climber Reinhold Messner, who made the first solo ascent of Everest.

"Everyone knows Ticino restaurant. It's been a staple in our community for over 40 years," said Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno, who is the niece of original Ticino chef Michelina DiManno.

The family-run restaurant is known for its traditional menu of veal, game, beef, bison and lamb, but is also popular for that most classic of Swiss dishes - fondue.

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“We probably serve eight fondues a day, on average, 11 months a year,” notes Widmer-Carson.

Over 44 years, it has been suitable for more than 130,000 fondues prepared in Ticino kitchens and almost 40 tons of authentic Swiss cheese grated, melted, served and tasted.

"That's 260,000 customers enjoying thousands of gallons of wine, sparking conversations from young and old. Romance, adventure, good news and bad news," says Widmer-Carson.

“Erwin's hospitality is friendly, welcoming. It's old school. It has nothing to do with volume, loud noise or loud motion. It's about sitting down, eating a nice dinner, eating slowly, and having a great time. . . It's a rich legacy."

The new ownership group has not been announced.