The Millsite, the restaurant located at the highest point of the Peak to Peak, and its new owners, Josh and Jesse Moyer, have been working diligently to get things rolling since they took over the operations from its previous owners and began to work making their dream a reality. The Moyers took a serious step forward recently, finally being granted the liquor license that had eluded them since the COVID shutdown had thrown everything into disarray.

Josh took a moment out of his hectic Friday night to update the community on the Millsite’s current goings on. “The vibe that we’re putting off for everybody is what they’re coming back for,” he said, “we try to keep it nice and peaceful. We’ve got kids in here at the same time as we’ve got people playing pool, and everything is still nice.”

They have musicians playing some evenings now, and he said that the calm atmosphere is good for them as well. “They set up the way they want to set up and they play when they want to play, and it’s been a lot of fun.” Moyer has already had a plethora of popular local musicians play at the Millsite and looks forward to adding to that list.

He said that local musicians host an event called the “Players Ball” every other Thursday night, usually the first and third Thursday of the month The next occasion will be August 4. “Charley Richards hosts an open session of, we don’t want to call them pros, but… they come together, and they mingle and they talk, and next thing you know they play wonderful music together… it’s a lot of fun.” Moyer explained that there would be instruments for musicians of any skill level to play on, and the chance to mingle with musicians from across the spectrum of styles and skill levels was a possibility.

The band that night called themselves “The Princess and the Pea,” and consisted of local singer Alexandra Schwan, and guitarist Matt Flaherty. Both Schwann and Flaherty have been fixtures in the local music scene for years and had played at the Millsite in the past. Being able to play again in the new iteration of the Millsite was a return to normal, which made both the Princess and the Pea happy.

“I used to come here back when Scott and Carol owned the place, and it was fun times, always, and being a Ward resident, this is a little gem to have over here,” said Schwan as she spoke of the Millsite and its place in the fabric of the community.

“I used to play here way back in the day, outside on the patio,” said Flaherty, “but it’s been a good seven years since that happened.”

“It’s great to have it open again,” said Schwan “It’s an asset to the community.”

They both agreed that it was a little bit of a return to normal, but they both agreed on one thing, “they have way better Mezcal now.”

Moyer has several new offerings for people who are out traveling the Peak to Peak as well as those who want to come for a particular event night. His music lineup is more solidified than it has been in the past, and he intends to post his lineup in the local music listing, so people can plan better for coming out.

“At first, I didn’t have a lot going on, so I wanted to get things rolling,” he said, “now, I’m booked through August into September, and I have acts all the way going into October. And there’s more coming.”

The food is still hot and fresh, and there is a noticeable improvement in delivery. Josh had a ready answer for that. His wife Jesse has taken over in the kitchen. “I cook a couple days during the week, but she’s taken over on the weekends, and it’s unbelievable what she can do,” he said. “Now that she has the kitchen set up the way she wants it and does everything back there herself… it’s coming out fast.”

Jesse Moyer is taking advantage of her opportunity to shine, and Josh described the improvements that she had made since taking over. “The pizzas are unbelievable, the burgers are unbelievable, she makes her own buns, her own dough, her own sauce,” Josh said.

All this work was capped off when the Millsite was granted its liquor license

“It’s been a tremendous, tremendous difference, huge difference between the two,” he said as he described life before, and after the license was granted. But despite that, Moyer has been consistent with his priorities since the opening of the Millsite. “I tell people this all the time, it’s really easy to sling beer. Anybody can give you a drink. But the food is what we’re trying to make the people come back for. And the atmosphere, and the music on Fridays and Saturdays.”

The Millsite will be hosting “The Players Ball” on the first and third Thursday of the month. They also host a free pool tournament on Monday evenings starting at 6 p.m.

The Millsite Inn is located at 44365 Highway 72, Ward, Colorado, 80481. For more information you can contact the Millsite at their Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/millsiteinn. moyer/