The Millsite is open for business Above, left; Josh Moyer (back) and James LeMaster turning out some of the first food orders from The Millsite’s kitchen at the recent opening. Above, right; Julia and Steve Koening enjoy a hot meal at the recent opening of The Millsite. Middle, right; Customers enjoying the food and games at the opening. Bottom, right; The Millsite owners and their staff, from left: Shannon Ostby, Josh Moyer, Jesse Moyer, James LeMaster.[/caption]
At 9,253 feet, the highest point of the Peak to Peak Highway, sits a legendary establishment that evokes reactions as wistful and defiant as the people who occupy these high mountain enclaves.
The Millsite, once a bustling restaurant that was considered an essential stop on Highway 72, closed its doors at the end of September 2018. Since then, it has sat forlornly at the curve of the highway that passes in front of the building. People in the area would conjecture what the future held for The Millsite. As activity was picking up from the outside, speculation grew about the purpose. What wasn’t obvious from the outside was the work being done by the family that had taken over the helm of The Millsite from the previous owners of 33 years. There was hope, as well as fears, that the character of The Millsite would be compromised by the new ownership, that gentrification would hit the beloved establishment.
The new proprietors, Josh and Jesse Moyer, have no intention of changing the integrity of The Millsite, however. They see the rustic personality and colorful history of The Millsite and the surrounding communities as worthwhile elements of its character and have chosen to maintain fidelity to that which made The Millsite such an iconic establishment.
On Friday, September 17, The Millsite opened its doors to the public for its grand opening.
At the present time, The Millsite has not been granted a liquor license.
“That’s one of our downfalls at the moment,” said Jesse, “unfortunately, with us working and trying to get this place open during Covid, we had to put our liquor license on the back burner for the time being. But now that we are open and running, the main priority is to get our liquor license. We actually set up a go-fund-me account to see if we could have the community help us get it a little bit quicker than we would be able to on our own.” In the future, they also plan to offer takeaway beer and wine sales.
Josh Moyer had worked other jobs during the Covid-19 period while he was renovating The Millsite building. He and his family endured the seemingly endless backlog of inspections and delays that had affected so many businesses trying to stay afloat. The difficulties of the past year seem to be behind the Moyers now.
The kitchen is open and is serving fresh hot food. There were hearty hamburgers and baskets of appetizers flowing out of the kitchen as Josh and his buddy, James LaMaster, kept pace with the incoming orders.
The Peak to Peak Highway is a popular ride for visitors to the mountains, especially during the seasonal changing of the aspen leaves, and many motorcycle riders find The Millsite to be a great stopover for a drink and a meal.
Tony Konloske had ridden from Arvada with two of his friends to see the changing aspen leaves and had stopped in for a burger. “We figured it was nicer to go to someplace local,” he said.
He and his friends had made short work of the generously proportioned burgers they had ordered and were relaxing and chatting in the area by the pool table. “Good cheeseburgers, and the fries were nice and hot,” said Harley Davidson, “and really soft, warm buns, which is important.”
Another couple was sitting in the dining area, finishing up their meals. Steve Koening was in town from Ohio, visiting his daughter, Julia, who lives in Fort Collins. “We took the Peak to Peak drive today from Estes Park, taking the sights in, and we saw the place and decided to stop and see what was here. It’s excellent, it’s excellent food,” he said.
“It’s a good alternative to Estes Park, which was really crowded today,” added Julia.
The Moyers are excited to have The Millsite open and plan to expand their offerings over the next year. “We can’t wait to meet everybody. We are so excited to be open and to offer great food and great drinks, eventually beer and wine. We’re going to be doing live music next spring hopefully. So that will be a big one for all our locals because we know everyone is so into music up here,” Jesse said, “we can’t wait to be around our lovely mountain (community).”
The Millsite hours of operation are Thursday - Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Mondays: 11 a.m. until the end of the Monday Night Football game, Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday: closed
For more information see their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/The.Millsite.Inn/
