The original Landmark Café has been part of southeast Arizona history and has played a significant role in shaping the communities and culture of Sierra Vista and Ft. Huachuca for over four decades.
The Landmark was founded during World War II when Margaret Carmichael sold the property at 400 West Fry Blvd. to the U.S. Government for the sum of $1.00. When constructed in 1942, the building was intended to fill a need to provide adequate recreation facilities for the large population of African American military personnel stationed at Fort Huachuca. It sat vacant after World War 2 but was turned into a Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) club when Fort Huachuca was reactivated in 1954.
In 1975, the building was purchased at auction by Tony Schaieb and Roger Barnett. A few years later, Schaieb bought out Barnett’s interest in the facility and opened the Landmark Restaurant/Steakhouse in 1978 that contained a spacious dining area, a plush lounge with large fireplace, and a multi-purpose room with a dance floor and stage that was often used for dinner theater or special events. Much of the furnishings came from Virgil’s Steakhouse, located just West of the facility, after it was damaged by fire.
Another setback occurred in 1981 when the Landmark burned. The business lay dormant until Mr. Shaieb erected Landmark Plaza, the present home of Landmark Café, in 1985. Four years later, Pam Anderson began waitressing at the Landmark Café, and on November 2,1992 she acquired the restaurant and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, the Landmark Café continues to be a popular gathering place for locals, military personnel, and visitors. Featuring a separate meeting room, large outdoor patio and spacious dining area, Landmark offers a friendly, inviting atmosphere. The calendar, available at your table and hosted on the website (landmark-cafe.com), announces lunch specials and live entertainment. Sierra Vista’s West End Destination, has grown to include a full-service bar and West End Coffee Company. Another entity of the Landmark family of companies, West End Catering, offers full array of off-site and on-site dining services for celebrations and events. Excellent service, quality experiences, and delicious meals are often noted in in popular online review platforms. Landmark has received accolades from the annual community citizen awards, the “Best of Sierra Vista” each of the last four years and the TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Award in 2020.
(Information Courtesy of the Sierra Vista Historical Society).
Visit The Landmark Cafe today and have a delicious meal.
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