Reopen Idaho's Iconic Banks Cafe
Donation protected
New Owners = New Vision | Preserve History | Growing Local Community | Make Banks Sustainable
Photo of the North Fork of the Payette River. Vintage Postcard by Rhodes News Agency, Boise, Idaho
Banks, Idaho, AKA The Center of the Universe
The Banks Cafe is an Idaho institution and at the epicenter of whitewater culture. Located at the confluence of the North and South Fork of the Payette River, this iconic cafe has served as a refuge for anyone traveling on Idaho's scenic HWY 55. What really makes Banks unique is the people. Our goal is to embrace the rad people and events that make this place so special and create a welcoming environment for everybody who comes to town. Some of the regulars have been coming here for 50 years! As the snow melts, rivers rise, and Bank's vibrant community comes to life, attracting a large seasonal population devoted to experiencing nature's forces on the river and in the surrounding mountains.
Mission
We don’t ‘own’ the Cafe, we are merely caretakers of the rich legacy of Banks, Idaho and stewards of the Payette River System. The Banks Cafe is more like a community center than a restaurant.
As locals, we have spent years listening to the needs of our community. We understand that maintaining this riverside cafe means preserving a community as well as a historical Idaho landmark. This new vibe creates a sense of place that the locals can call home, and the people passing through can have a memorable experience on their way to McCall, Stanley and other neighboring towns.
We are looking forward to hosting visitors from Boise, the surrounding area and beyond! While the official population of Banks is only 17, the network surrounding The Banks Cafe and the Payette River includes outdoor enthusiasts from all around the world. We want to offer our patrons quality and locally sourced food, beer, coffee, entertainment, and most importantly, do so with sustainable and eco-friendly restaurant practices.
What The Funds Will Be Used For
In recent years, it’s not uncommon to hear people call the Cafe rundown. We would like to think it it has just been loved to death. The last 6 months have been dedicated to completing maintenance on the building that is nearly 100 years old, and making a viable plan for the future. While we feel like we are incredibly wealthy when it comes to community, friends and family, we need your help financially to make the Banks Cafe thrive.
Our goal is to continue the rich history of Banks, and ensure that the building will survive to support the community that makes this place unique.
To all of the people who have volunteered their time to get us to this point, we are beyond grateful. Your generosity inspires us and builds the energy that makes Banks what it is. Ultimately, there are more developed mountain towns but none of them with the heart of Banks, Idaho.
Long term the funds will be used to:
Keep Banks Beautiful ~ That means repairs and maintenance for this historical site, i.e. the building, parking lot and landscape. The area north of the bathrooms, jokingly called a ‘park’, will actually become a park and whitewater memorial courtyard to honor those who have lost their lives on the river.
Events~ Our partnership with the North Fork Championship will bring world-class athletes to our venue throughout the event. Opportunities for concerts, photography exhibitions, and conservation summits exist during this 1 week event June 13th-15th 2019 will feature the World Championship of Whitewater Kayaking in Banks, Idaho.
Education ~ We would like to facilitate opportunities for local kids, who are financially disadvantaged, to meet professional whitewater athletes and inspire local watershed education and stewardship through rafting, kayaking and river safety.
Make Banks Green ~ We are dedicated to eliminating plastic and replacing it with compostable and eco friendly products. We are also bringing in seasonal and organic products from local farmers, as well as implementing a recycling program.
Bring Back Soft Serve ~ Banks Cafe has historically been a destination for soft serve along HWY 55's scenic byway. Sadly this tradition was lost a few years back. Upon popular demand, funds will go towards purchasing and maintaining a soft serve machine.
Make Banks Safe ~ We are working towards making the Banks intersection a safer place to stop and smell the roses. Funds will go towards the movement to slow down the traffic and make stopping at Banks easier and safer for all travelers.
Rewards! We are so grateful for your support! Find donation rewards below!
$10 receives:
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$20 receives:
Banks Cafe sticker
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$30
Free Soft Serve
Banks Cafe sticker
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$50 receives:
Banks Cafe T-Shirt
Banks Cafe sticker
$100
Banks, Idaho Mug handmade by local artist Shay Woodhouse (@ClaybyShay)
Banks Cafe Sticker
Check out the mugs!
We started this fundraising campaign with the mindset that the Cafe about building community. If you can make a large donation, that is amazing, and we are so stoked! We will be just as fired up if you donate $5.00 and send us your favorite picture of yourself at the Cafe to hang up on the wall or used on our website. If you don’t have any money to give, we would love it if you would take the time to share a story with us to put in the new menu-zine. If you have any historical photos or kayaking paraphernalia to enhance our walls we would be beyond grateful! Lastly, you can always spread the word, we are trying to #keepbanksrad.
Thank you so much for your time and support. Rewards will be shipped out as soon as possible. Please share this with all of your people. We appreciate the love and encouragement.
Caretakers of Banks
Photo of the North Fork of the Payette River. Vintage Postcard by Rhodes News Agency, Boise, Idaho Banks, Idaho, AKA The Center of the Universe
The Banks Cafe is an Idaho institution and at the epicenter of whitewater culture. Located at the confluence of the North and South Fork of the Payette River, this iconic cafe has served as a refuge for anyone traveling on Idaho's scenic HWY 55. What really makes Banks unique is the people. Our goal is to embrace the rad people and events that make this place so special and create a welcoming environment for everybody who comes to town. Some of the regulars have been coming here for 50 years! As the snow melts, rivers rise, and Bank's vibrant community comes to life, attracting a large seasonal population devoted to experiencing nature's forces on the river and in the surrounding mountains.
Mission
We don’t ‘own’ the Cafe, we are merely caretakers of the rich legacy of Banks, Idaho and stewards of the Payette River System. The Banks Cafe is more like a community center than a restaurant.
As locals, we have spent years listening to the needs of our community. We understand that maintaining this riverside cafe means preserving a community as well as a historical Idaho landmark. This new vibe creates a sense of place that the locals can call home, and the people passing through can have a memorable experience on their way to McCall, Stanley and other neighboring towns.
We are looking forward to hosting visitors from Boise, the surrounding area and beyond! While the official population of Banks is only 17, the network surrounding The Banks Cafe and the Payette River includes outdoor enthusiasts from all around the world. We want to offer our patrons quality and locally sourced food, beer, coffee, entertainment, and most importantly, do so with sustainable and eco-friendly restaurant practices.
What The Funds Will Be Used For
In recent years, it’s not uncommon to hear people call the Cafe rundown. We would like to think it it has just been loved to death. The last 6 months have been dedicated to completing maintenance on the building that is nearly 100 years old, and making a viable plan for the future. While we feel like we are incredibly wealthy when it comes to community, friends and family, we need your help financially to make the Banks Cafe thrive.
Our goal is to continue the rich history of Banks, and ensure that the building will survive to support the community that makes this place unique.
To all of the people who have volunteered their time to get us to this point, we are beyond grateful. Your generosity inspires us and builds the energy that makes Banks what it is. Ultimately, there are more developed mountain towns but none of them with the heart of Banks, Idaho.
Long term the funds will be used to:
Keep Banks Beautiful ~ That means repairs and maintenance for this historical site, i.e. the building, parking lot and landscape. The area north of the bathrooms, jokingly called a ‘park’, will actually become a park and whitewater memorial courtyard to honor those who have lost their lives on the river.
Events~ Our partnership with the North Fork Championship will bring world-class athletes to our venue throughout the event. Opportunities for concerts, photography exhibitions, and conservation summits exist during this 1 week event June 13th-15th 2019 will feature the World Championship of Whitewater Kayaking in Banks, Idaho.
Education ~ We would like to facilitate opportunities for local kids, who are financially disadvantaged, to meet professional whitewater athletes and inspire local watershed education and stewardship through rafting, kayaking and river safety.
Make Banks Green ~ We are dedicated to eliminating plastic and replacing it with compostable and eco friendly products. We are also bringing in seasonal and organic products from local farmers, as well as implementing a recycling program.
Bring Back Soft Serve ~ Banks Cafe has historically been a destination for soft serve along HWY 55's scenic byway. Sadly this tradition was lost a few years back. Upon popular demand, funds will go towards purchasing and maintaining a soft serve machine.
Make Banks Safe ~ We are working towards making the Banks intersection a safer place to stop and smell the roses. Funds will go towards the movement to slow down the traffic and make stopping at Banks easier and safer for all travelers.
Rewards! We are so grateful for your support! Find donation rewards below!
$10 receives:
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$20 receives:
Banks Cafe sticker
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$30
Free Soft Serve
Banks Cafe sticker
Postcard from The Banks Cafe
$50 receives:
Banks Cafe T-Shirt
Banks Cafe sticker
$100
Banks, Idaho Mug handmade by local artist Shay Woodhouse (@ClaybyShay)
Banks Cafe Sticker
Check out the mugs!
We started this fundraising campaign with the mindset that the Cafe about building community. If you can make a large donation, that is amazing, and we are so stoked! We will be just as fired up if you donate $5.00 and send us your favorite picture of yourself at the Cafe to hang up on the wall or used on our website. If you don’t have any money to give, we would love it if you would take the time to share a story with us to put in the new menu-zine. If you have any historical photos or kayaking paraphernalia to enhance our walls we would be beyond grateful! Lastly, you can always spread the word, we are trying to #keepbanksrad.
Thank you so much for your time and support. Rewards will be shipped out as soon as possible. Please share this with all of your people. We appreciate the love and encouragement.
Caretakers of Banks
Fundraising team (2)
Shay Woodhouse
Organizer
Banks, ID
Kolbie Douglas
Team member