Stories of Alberta: Castor's Golden Crown Restaurant (Andy's)

Every so often, an unassuming little corner of a town becomes a lasting part of that community’s folklore. For the town of Castor, Alberta, that place is known to former patrons as Andy’s. The historic grey brick building still stands on the corner of Prospect Street, a few bricks scant, with a well-worn sign from another time that reads “Jessie’s Café.” A new sign stands out against the faded paint, a “For Sale” sign, indicating the unknown future of this building. But the people of Castor know very well the history and the memories that were made within those walls—and that the magic lives on no matter what comes next.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone as connected to Castor as Beth Elhard. She was born there, raised her family there, built her career there—her husband has even become the town’s mayor. If you want to know something about Castor, you ask Beth. She remembers the Golden Crown Restaurant, better known as Andy’s, vividly. “I firmly believe that Andy’s, for years, was the hub of our local community…And everybody loved the place. [There’s] a lot of folklore, stuff that evolved within the community. And Andy...we all miss him,” she says.

Andy Wong, the namesake of the community gathering place, has become a Castor legend. He no longer lives in the town, but he and his restaurant are far from forgotten. In fact, many grew up eating at Andy’s and it became a sort of rite of passage. “The school kids at noon hour would flock there,” says Beth, “He always had this deal of a hamburger, fries and a pop for five dollars…But then, when they graduated, they had to pay the regular adult price.”

Kids and adults alike were mystified by Andy’s ability to feed a full house. “Nobody knows how you'd get it. He never had any help back in the kitchen,” says Beth. Apart from his school kid special, Andy was well known for his exceptional Chinese cuisine. "Andy's was the best Chinese food ever,” says Beth. He even won over what Beth refers to as the “meat and potatoes crowd.” The food, and the atmosphere, was loved by all.

All good things must come to an end, and the Golden Crown Restaurant was no exception. In 2017, Andy made the decision to pack up and move to Saskatchewan. The folks in Castor didn’t let him leave without a proper send-off. “I think that was the biggest crowd we've ever had in the hall. Kids came back for it. It was quite heartwarming,” says Beth. Andy, a man of few words, closed the evening with just one: “Thanks.”

What was it about that old grey brick building? “I think more over time, especially when Andy took over, that's when it became a really popular place,” says Beth. “He made it. I don't know what it was, but it just became Andy’s.” And now it’s a part of Castor’s history. A time, a place and a person, all woven into that community’s folklore, forever.

This cafe was once the vibrant heart of our community at Castor, Alberta. It was built in the early 1900’s and passed through many owners and many names until it came to be fondly known as “Andy’s”.

If you were a stranger passing through our town of Castor, Alberta, you would probably reject the grey building standing on the corner of Prospect Street as just another empty, small town, derelict building. Though the print is worn and faded and the letters barely distinguishable, the faded ancient, red and silver sign hanging above the front door indicates it was once Jesse’s Cafe.

If those old walls could talk they would tell tales of the first time Chinese food came to a growing prairie town. A change of culinary taste for the meat and potatoes crowd! Today those
walls would tell how Andy’s Chinese food became the best in East Central Alberta.

Andy himself was a quiet sort. He went about life raising his children, living above the
cafe, unobtrusive, working hard. Occasionally when he needed time off, one would see pasted on the outside of the door, “SORRY CLOSED.”

Andy was a magician in the kitchen. At noon the students would invade and Andy would be ready for them. A hamburger, fries and a pop for $5.00! This price would be, until the day they graduated from school. Paying adult prices at Andy’s was a Rite of Passage.

Then there was the coffee crowd! If only those embossed tin ceiling and worn down tables could talk! Business deals were made around the tables in that cafe. Politics argued. Hockey wars fought. Insults traded in good fun. Strangers would stare in alarm if they happened into the café at 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m., at the rowdy matching wars over who would pay for coffee. Then to further the war they would add the “numbers game”. More often than not, when
the stranger went to leave he would find that his coffee had been paid for by one of the coffee drinkers.

Andy was loved by all. When he closed his doors for the final time in 2017 one of the biggest crowds ever to gather in the local community hall, came to say goodbye to Andy Wong.

“SORRY CLOSED.”

Photos courtesy of Beth Elhard and Shelly Pals.