Off-season in the Roaring Fork Valley is officially upon us.
With last weekend's ski and snowboard flick festival The Meeting signifying the last major gathering of locals and tourists until the mountains open on Thanksgiving Day, many Aspen shops, restaurants and lodges use October and early-November as a chance to expand, change locations, open for business and, in some cases, shut down for good.
And though Colorado is fairing better than most states in the midst of the worst economic downturn in several decades, says Colorado Department of Labor and Employment senior economist Joe Winter, the town's off-season shuffle has still slowed, with only a handful of businesses planning changes.
Kevin Willson and Laura Wren, owners of the Wienerstube Restaurant, located at 633. E. Hyman Ave., announced they would turn over full ownership of the restaurant to Austrian chef Harald Neuweg. The eatery closed on Sept. 28, and plans to re-open for the season on Nov. 1, to feature dinner along with its breakfast and lunch staples.
Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass altered his mini-Aspen empire last month when he opened Headquarters, at 405 S. Hunter St., an accessory shop dedicated solely to hats. (The store used to be a Weinglass-owned establishment dedicated to bags and belts.) The roughly 150-square-foot store sandwiched between Lush and Setterfield and Bright Real Estate opened in mid-September and features mostly sports-themed caps and beanies, with more inventory expected at the start of the winter.
Fine dining French and Provencal cuisine restaurant Cache Cache, located at 205 S. Mill St., shut its doors on Oct. 4 in order to prepare for an extensive remodel and expansion into the currently unoccupied space adjacent to the lower level Mill Street eatery. Plans are to reopen the day after Thanksgiving, though due to the remodel an exact reopening plan has not been confirmed.
Chain clothing store J Crew is also moving into the 205 S. Mill St. complex, in the former site of the Hyatt Grand Aspen sales office. J. Crew, which started in 1983 as a mail-order company, plans to open its Aspen location by mid-November.
The largest change of the season will be the Limelight Lodge, slated to open on Nov. 22. The pet-friendly hotel, located at 355 S. Monarch St., plans to open on Nov. 22, and features standard hotel rooms and luxury rooms up to 1,300 square feet with full kitchens and unobstructed mountain views.
Most restaurants that are part of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association have modified their hours for the off-season, with only a few closing their doors until locals and tourists return in full force.
In addition to Cache Cache (closed till Nov. 28), the Popcorn Wagon will also reopen on Nov. 28, Garnish Café inside the Aspen Club and Krabloonik will reopen on Thanksgiving Day, Social will open in mid-November, Pacifica will open in early-December, and Pine Creek Cook House and Pinons will open in mid-December.
damien@aspendailynews.com
