Aspen is woefully lacking in the late night dining department.
Don't think that you can go to a 7 pm play and grab a bite afterwards. Virtually no one will still be serving. And even if technically they are, the staff will make you feel very guilty for daring to come in so late.
There are a couple of options like New York Pizza which stay open until the wee hours and do a brisk business. But, pizza does get old. (I know, heresy!)
The historic Popcorn Wagon, which filled a late night niche, was closed for renovation, destroyed, re-opened for a short time with limited hours and now lies dark.
Recently, the Aspen City Council has been considering whether to allow for food carts on the pedestrian malls, part of the effort to revitalize the downtown core. I think it's an awesome idea. The restauranteurs? Not so much.
They have a point. They pay outrageous rents. They have high overhead.
But I guess I'm just not very sympathetic. And it appears that I'm not alone. The Aspen Times is conducting a poll and as of yesterday afternoon, a whopping 66% of respondents were in favor of the food carts.
EatAspen is also conducting a similar poll on its Facebook page through a Facebook application, PollDaddy, but since I'm Facebook application averse, I didn't vote in that one.
1 comment:
It's aggravating that the wait staff get testy or irritated by late night dinners. It's part of the business and management needs to improve that. Also, there is a niche for people who want to eat after a play or movie. A smart restaurateur might develop a special niche for them with a special menu just for them.
The carts sound like a great solution to the problem. Of course, the competition won't be welcome, but restaurants won't be replaced and they can change to compete.
Let me know how this plays out.
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