Denver Mountain Parks is edging toward a deal that could bring Tocabe, the Highlands’ favorite known for fry bread and bison ribs, into the Pahaska Tepee at Lookout Mountain. The plan would flip the long-vacant gift shop next to the Buffalo Bill Museum into a restaurant and cultural retail hub that centers on Indigenous food and storytelling.
Exploreus, a concessions operator that has worked in national and regional parks, is reportedly in negotiations with Tocabe to run a presence inside Pahaska and would put significant money into renovating the building. Denver Mountain Parks has offered Exploreus a 10-year lease, and the contract under review would allow the company to operate both a restaurant and a retail marketplace focused on Indigenous history and culture. Tocabe has already submitted a letter backing the proposal, according to reporting from Denverite.
City process and the RFI
The city formally went looking for ideas in 2025 with a Request for Information that sought vendors to provide “indigenous-focused food and beverage, retail marketplace, and cultural programming” at the Pahaska facility at 987 Lookout Mountain Road. The RFI closed June 16, 2025, and said responses would help shape a future Request for Proposals and the terms of a concession contract, including a short-term occupancy option while larger preservation work is planned. According to documents posted by the City and County of Denver, the effort is framed as an opportunity to bring contemporary Indigenous perspectives into the site’s storytelling and visitor services.
Why the city wants Indigenous voices at Pahaska
Officials and historians have long wrestled with Buffalo Bill’s legacy. His Wild West shows helped cement frontier myths that often reduced Native people to simplified, stage-ready roles. While the shows did give some Native performers work and visibility, scholars point out that they also baked stereotypes into the culture, later echoed in early film and popular entertainment. For a deeper look at how Wild West spectacles shaped those narratives, see coverage from JSTOR Daily.
What Tocabe would add
Tocabe, an Osage-owned Denver restaurant at 3536 W. 44th Ave., is known for Indian tacos, stuffed fry bread, and house-cured bison ribs, along with an online marketplace that highlights Native producers. That mix of menu and retail makes it a natural fit for a concession concept that blends food service with cultural programming and museum-adjacent shopping. Local coverage has chronicled the restaurant’s emphasis on Indigenous sourcing and recipes, as reported by Westword.
Timeline and next steps
Denver Mountain Parks expects the Pahaska building, which has been closed since late 2024, to reopen in the early summer after roughly two months of minor construction. The Exploreus proposal is one of the options the City Council is considering to give the site a fresh start. If the council signs off on a contract and permits move quickly, a restaurant and retail operation could be up and running as mountain visitation ramps up. Reporting on the negotiations and lease details was published by Denverite…