Old caboose in downtown Idaho Falls is now a seasonal business
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IDAHO FALLS – An old caboose that’s been sitting along the riverbank in Idaho Falls for decades has been turned into a seasonal drive-thru treat shop.
The Christmas Caboose opened the week of Thanksgiving at 471 Parkway Drive. It offers a menu that includes hot chocolate, apple cider, homemade bread and English toffee. One of the most popular items is called doughnut touch my cocoa. It’s a cup of Ghirardelli hot chocolate with marshmallow cream and crushed Oreos. It’s topped with whip cream, a doughnut and chocolate drizzle.
Twenty-five-year-old Morgan Loftus is the owner of the business. Although it’s been a fun little venture the last several weeks, she tells EastIdahoNews.com it’s not a real visible spot and she’s trying to spread the word.
“We’re a little bit off the road,” Loftus says. “People that are walking the greenbelt come and see it and love it, but we’re trying to reach more people.”
The caboose has been there all her life. Loftus has seen it many times while walking along the river and she always thought it would be fun to open a shop of some kind. This year, she finally did something about it.
“I am a hot chocolate fanatic, so that’s what we wanted to sell. It’s perfect for the holidays because they’ve got all the lights downtown and other fun stuff and we wanted to add to that,” Loftus says.
Idaho Falls was once a stopping point for the Union Pacific Railroad and the caboose dates back to a time when there was a train station at this location.
“The railroad used to run through it and the bridge across the road (on the other side of Broadway) is the original railroad bridge,” says Loftus.
The building that used to be a train depot is now the home of International Harvester.
Dane Watkins Sr., whose son is a district judge in Idaho Falls, owns the caboose and is leasing it to Loftus for her seasonal venture.
“Dane was able to put this here and keep it so that everyone could enjoy and see a part of the beginning of Idaho Falls,” Loftus says.
She’s considering making it a long-term business, depending on how it performs during the holidays.
“If people love it, then we’ll expand so it’s not just hot chocolate and we’ll do more things here in the summer,” she says.
If it becomes permanent, she notes it would require a name change as well.
The Christmas Caboose will be open until Jan. 3. It’s open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. with a 9 p.m. closing time Friday and Saturday.
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