Old Ski Gondolas Find New Life as Private Dining Rooms
A Colorado woman is revamping used gondolas to help restaurants stay afloat with outdoor dining.
By Sarah Kuta
With cold winter weather on the horizon and ever-changing local COVID-19 rules limiting indoor dining, Wendy and Rich Tucciarone began worrying about the fate of their Steamboat Springs, Colorado, craft brewery and restaurant last fall.
In the summer, it was easy to spread out the tables on Mountain Tap Brewery‘s large patio and prop open the building’s garage doors. But even with heaters and firepits, the patio would be a tough sell during the icy evening temperatures and frequent snowstorms in this Colorado ski town famous for its “champagne powder.”
During one creative brainstorming session, their accountant suggested converting out-of-service ski gondolas—small, enclosed, cube-like spaces that transport skiers and snowboarders uphill—into private outdoor dining spaces. The Tucciarones are avid skiers and mountain bikers, so they liked the idea immediately.
But even in a mountain town, used ski gondolas are hard to come by.
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Posted from Food & Wine
