Vail, CO – Vail Resorts announced this week the planned opening of Elway’s restaurant in Vail at The Lodge at Vail, A RockResort, for the 2011-12 winter ski and snowboard season.
Named for former Denver Bronco quarterback and NFL Hall of Fame Inductee John Elway, Elway’s new Vail restaurant will be the company’s first location outside of the metropolitan Denver area, where it operates two restaurants in Cherry Creek and downtown in the Ritz-Carlton Denver. Elway’s has signed a long-term lease for the space currently occupied by the Wildflower restaurant and Mickey’s bar in The Lodge at Vail, located in the heart of Vail Village less than a block from Vail Mountain’s Vista Bahn chairlift. The location is planned to open in time for the ski season following renovations.
“In our opinion The Lodge at Vail is the best restaurant location in Vail and we’re excited about aligning our strong Elway’s brand with the powerful brands of Vail and Vail Resorts. We look forward to serving Vail visitors from all over the world and seeing so many of our Denver guests who ski and vacation in Vail. The Elway’s Cherry Creek team can’t wait to bring Denver’s best steakhouse to town,” says John Elway, a partner in the restaurant firm with Tim Schmidt.
“Vail Resorts is thrilled to bring Elway’s to our iconic RockResorts property, The Lodge at Vail, in the heart of Vail Village for this upcoming ski season,” says Jeff Jones, co-president and chief financial officer of Vail Resorts. “With the addition of this new restaurant, we are creating a combination of one of the most popular restaurant concepts in Colorado, established by one of the most successful figures in the history of Colorado sports, with one of the most popular ski resorts in the world. With its wide array of steaks and seafood as well as its terrific atmosphere and nightlife, Elway’s is sure to become a dining and nightlife destination experience for our Vail guests for many years to come.”
Elway’s new Vail restaurant will offer dishes including hand-cut, aged USDA prime steaks, fresh seafood and shellfish, Colorado rack of lamb, and Elway’s signature Smash Burger. Side dishes will include King crab fried rice and creamed corn. Après-ski guests can enjoy selections from Elway’s appetizer list and bar menu. Elway’s will also have an extensive wine list with wine by the glass and an array of over 350 selections available by the bottle.
Construction of the new Elway’s restaurant is scheduled to begin on August 1, a day after the closing of the Wildflower and Mickey’s. Elway has told the Denver Post that he would like to retain the services of Mickey Poage, who has played in Mickey’s piano bar for 35 years, to continue that tradition.
Elway’s will encompass approximately 5,500 total square feet, including outdoor spaces, and will have seating for approximately 260 guests. The restaurant will feature three separate interior dining areas, an informal fireside dining area that can also be reserved for groups, larger, more casual dining space that includes an après-ski bar, and a covered outdoor dining patio with seating for 28 that can be used year round. Finally, there will be an additional expansive outdoor patio that will be open for cocktails and casual dining as weather permits.