The Alberta Hotel was constructed in 1892. Additions were made in 1899, 1903, and 1908 in response to population and business growth of Red Deer through the early 1900s. By the 1920s the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company had purchased the building. In 1939, a large three storey art deco building was constructed on the west side of the hotel, and the brick addition from 1903 was incorporated into the new structure. The hotel was renamed “The Buffalo Hotel” as this was one of the symbols of the Calgary Malting and Brewery Company. A large buffalo head was later mounted in the bar. The refreshed modern hotel became the favourite host of many important events and banquets. A coffee shop was added in 1959, featuring an exterior neon sign, and a new beer parlour was built in 1965.

In 1989, k.d. lang starred in “Buffalo Café,” an hour-long musical special, which aired on CBC television. While the musical numbers were actually staged at the North Hill Inn, several scenes were filmed in the

In 2010, the hotel was given new life as an affordable housing project called the Buffalo Housing First Program, with the tavern or bar area transformed into a place of worship. The housing program was relocated in 2021, leaving the building empty.

Club Cafe

The café building was originally constructed in 1919 and housed Bullock and Callendar furniture. In 1929, Kim Moon Yee, better known as George Moon, and Charlie Chuck bought the furniture store for $6000, and after extensive renovations they opened the new Club Café. Moon took care of the front end of the restaurant while Chuck oversaw of the kitchen. Business was slow during the 1930s but improved greatly for the hard-working owners during the Second World War years due to the influx of additional military personnel in the community who often frequented the venue. The popular café also became a draw for visitors, with people coming to enjoy the atmosphere and a good meal. At its peak, the restaurant served 600 full course meals daily. In 1946, the cafe was sold to Willie Mah, who had just lost his restaurant, the Royal Cafe, to fire. Like the hotel next door, the café became a community favourite for hosting banquets and meetings.

The restaurant closed in 2006. After extensive renovations, the café was briefly used by the Central Alberta Brain Injury Society as a support centre called A Gathering Place. It reopened as a restaurant under new ownership in 2009, while keeping the original Club Café name. Over the next several years the restaurant closed and reopened several times under different owners, but none would last.

Demolition

In late 2022, The City purchased the sites of 5021 and 5023 Ross (50) Street downtown with the intent to redevelop the area. Included among the two parcels of land were the Buffalo Hotel and Club Café.

Unfortunately, these properties were in a very poor state of repair and it was too expensive to restore them. The buildings were demolished and the sites prepared for As the sites wait for permanent redevelopment, they have been used for numerous community events such as Red Deer Art Walk festival, Community Mural Paint Day, and the downtown market.