The Leaf
4746 49th Street
Hardisty, AB
780-888-2377
There’s a building in Hardisty where the walls still whisper….
A place where you can almost hear the echo of train whistles from a century ago, where laughter from today mixes with memories from long before anyone sitting at the bar was born.
That place is The Leaf.
It’s hard to believe that what’s now one of the most recognizable social hubs in Flagstaff County started with a phone call, a handshake, and two frantic weeks of ren-ovation.
It was April 2012 when Clayton Hinkey first opened the doors of The Leaf’s original downtown location — without a background in hospitality, but with a gut feeling that Hardisty needed a place like this.
“I didn’t have any bar or restaurant expe-rience,” he recalls. “Just a lot of experience as a customer.”
That customer-first perspective became the cornerstone of The Leaf. More TVs. Bet-ter beer. Higher food standards. Reliable hours. A place where you could bring your family, your work crew, or your out-of-town guests and feel proud.
But it wasn’t long before Hinkey found himself driving past the old train station each day with a growing feeling that it, too, was meant for something more.
The historic 1905 structure — rich with local lore and rescued years earlier by the Goodrich and Granger families — sat empty. But in Hinkey’s mind, it was already a pub.
So, he bought it.
What he thought would be a quick, one-month makeover became an 11-month odyssey of storm drains, structural up-grades, and countless late nights.
“We didn’t spare any expense,” he says. “We wanted to do it right. It was a leap of faith — if you build it, they will come.”
And they did.
What emerged was not just a restaurant, but a living landmark — lovingly restored, yet humming with new life.
The Leaf has become a cornerstone for locals and visitors alike. Birthdays. Team windups. Weddings. First dates and final farewells. Over the last 12 years, it has quietly woven itself into the fabric of the com-munity.
Even on the busiest nights, The Leaf holds space for everyone. Hinkey and his team have resisted calls to convert the family side into more seating for the bar — even when it meant walking away from quick profits.
“It always felt wrong not to be able to bring your own family to your own business,” he says.
