Jacqueline Hart, Gilpin County. This year marks the third year in a row for the Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner at Roy’s Last Shot. Could this be the start of a local tradition? Roy Stewart, owner of Roy’s Last Shot, took a time out from greeting guests, old friends, locals and travelers to recount how the decision to keep the restaurant open to celebrate the holiday came to be.
Stewart opened the restaurant almost thirteen years ago and stayed open for Thanksgiving the first two years. He said there were only about twenty to thirty customers who showed in those days, so he shut down for the holiday the next eight years. In 2015, tired of spending Thanksgiving standing in long lines at casino buffets and celebrating with crowds of strangers, he re-opened his doors with a dinner buffet of his own.
The vision he’s seen come to fruition is an inexpensive community dinner where friends and neighbors can come together, spend some time and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The buffet is stocked with turkey and mashed potatoes, as well as lasagna, shrimp scampi, a salad bar and an all-you-can-eat dessert table. At only $20 for adults and $10 for children, Roy’s Thanksgiving dinner is affordable and offers a place to connect for those who might have spent the holiday alone otherwise.
In attendance this year were locals, like Taffy Skudneski and her friend Meri, from upstate New York. The women preferred not to be photographed, but Taffy can always be counted on for her entertaining stories of raising children in Gilpin County. On Thanksgiving, she proudly shared a story of her son Peter taking the family car in the middle of the night and challenging friends to four wheeling competitions on Gilpin County back roads.
Lujuanna O’Neil and Fred Beauchamp stumbled upon Roy’s Last Shot about three years ago. Lujanna said, “We were on our way to the casino’s and we decided to see what was past them instead. We ended up here and Roy met us at the door with open arms. We’ve been coming ever since.” She went on to share the fact that she and Fred rarely go to the casino’s now, preferring to spend time in Nederland or having a meal at Roy’s. The couple traveled from Lakewood to spend Thanksgiving at the Last Shot.
The Christoph family came to Roy’s to celebrate their holiday with their mother, Madame Horn, who is originally from Paris and now lives in Broomfield. Madame Horn lived in Paris after World War II. She shared some of her story with Roy, whose mother-in-law lived in Germany at about the same time. A lunch was planned by the families for the following day for the two women to meet and share their unique experience from their different perspectives.
(Originally published in the November 29, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)
