Have you ever heard of the Nite’n Day Café in Edmonton, formerly located at 118 Avenue and 80 Street? We recently had an inquiry on our Facebook page about the café through our Ask an Expert feature. The call was put out to our experts and, while no one had heard of it before, they did dig up some information!
A search through the University of Alberta’s Peel’s Prairie Provinces database, and specifically Henderson’s Directories, revealed the first listing for the Nite’n Day Café (8003-118 Ave) in the 1952 edition. Gus Greekas, and John and Gloria Greekas also lived at that same address. The directory for the previous year (1951) shows the White Dove Tea room at this address, with a number of other people also living there, including Mrs. Eva Strand, proprietor. The first listing for 8003 – 118 Avenue is in 1939, with the White Dove Tea Room at this location and, interestingly, Gust Greekes listed as both being the proprietor and living there. Although the spelling is different, this is almost certainly the same person who is associated with the first listing of the Nite’n Day Café in 1952.
If you are interested in checking out who was associated with the property between 1939 and 1953, you can check out Henderson’s directories online here: http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/henderson.html. For years after 1953, the City of Edmonton Archives has copies available for the public to look at in their research room at the Prince of Wales Armoury.
If you know anything about the Nite’n Day Café, please share with us by commenting below!
The information found in Henderson’s Directories was provided by our resident expert, Dorothy Field (Heritage Survey Program).
RETROactive 
Only hearsay and one or 2 visits in the early 60’s. Tough place if you were a young man. It was a 24 hour place so we would go there for breakfast when venturing out on an early morning bird hunt to eastern Alberta. It was the venue for a legendary brawl between soldiers from Griesbach and zoot-suiters from east Edmonton in the early fifties. It was I think less well-known for its food than it was for its 24-hour opening and its rough clientele.
Thanks for this!
I was born in the area in 1957 and we moved to South Side in 1960…..but grew up with the famous story of the Zoot Suit and Army “massacre”. Would love to know more details!
Night’ n Day Cafe was a favourite second home for many ETS bus drivers of the fifties and sixties as it was just up the street from the Cromdale Transit Garage. ATU Local 569 may have some old photos kicking around in their archives.
Thanks, Patrick!
Please check. Address for Night and Day is 118 AVENUE. White Dove Tea Room 118 STREEET.
Thanks, Tom, that was a typo. White Dove Tea Room was at 8003-118 Ave, prior to the cafe.
We are the Varvis family, current owners of Coliseum Steak and Pizza. The Night n Day was also owned by this family. We are interested in a history wall celebrating the long history of this corner. If anyone has stories or pictures we would really appreciate it!!
As a teenager in the 1965-68 time period this was a late night early morning breakfast hangout place. Everybody loved the two waitresses, look-a-like trwins: Lynne and Linda. I was in love with Linda but she mostly dated my buddy. Wish I knew what became of them. The best French fries ever!
I was working a couple blocks from the Night n Day in the early seventies and I went there for a snack before work at midnight once. It seemed like an okay place but it had quite a reputation.
I’m surprised there’s not more online about it.
The Coffee Cup Cafe on Jasper was another 24-hour restaurant with a more sketchy reputation.