Aspen’s Campo de Fiori celebrates 30 years

Local Italian eatery Campo de Fiori will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Wednesday, Dec. 4, bucking the trend of independently owned restaurant closures in Aspen.

“Campo has always been about the locals and making every guest who walks through the door feel special,” owner Elizabeth Plotke Hall said. “No pretense whatsoever. Great food, great energy and service, all with lots of love and little details to make things feel beautiful.”

Plotke Hall arrived in Aspen when she was 25 years old, fleeing a post-college corporate job in search of a different kind of life. She had only skied a couple of times before quitting her job as a buyer for a pharmaceutical company. She intended to spend six months here and then move to Europe. Eighteen months later she had saved $50,000 and saw an 800-square-foot space that had sat empty for two years.

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“My landlord, Tony Mazza, let me rent the space and didn’t charge any rent while it was being built out. At the time, we’d work on the buildout in the day and wait tables at night to pay for the project. Friends all pitched in to help. An artist named James Johansen painted from ceiling to floor for around $1000,” she explained. “Everything was done by hand on a shoestring budget. The night we opened all the locals showed up to support us. There was a line out the door. It was a shocking and unbelievable opening with so many friends around offering so much love and support.”

The community support allowed her to continue expanding Campo when, in 1995, the space next door became available. They popped out the facade to add three more tables and added a small bar, with one bathroom and a coat-check room. In 1996 another tiny space became available and the bar was further expanded, which is how it stayed until a larger expansion in 2019.

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“That expansion was an absolute game changer. Just a few months after we expanded COVID hit and we had never been more grateful for the additional space to spread people out and our sliding doors throughout the facade,” she said. “Then finally in 2023, we learned that the tiny, hidden space behind our bathrooms and kitchen would become available so that we could finally expand our kitchen, after 30 years. We are now officially a complete restaurant and so many things that were very stressful and hard to deal with daily, are now eliminated.” 

Part of Campo’s longevity has been tied to the team maintaining the original vision for the restaurant: an authentic Italian eatery serving classic food in a cozy and lively atmosphere. But for Plotke Hall, the staff, many of whom have worked there for over 20 years, is the real secret to their success.

“We have never taken our success for granted for one second and the most important part of that success is our team. Everyone who works there has a beautiful heart and so many people have been there for more than 20 years,” she said. “I don’t believe there is any restaurant with a more beautiful culture than Campo. It is a million percent because there are these incredible Individuals, who come together and bring their love, talent, and passion every single day.”

In a town where locally owned restaurants are becoming less prominent, a longtime dedicated staff like Campo’s is hard to find. Unlike the days gone by, there are very few places left that you can walk into and know everyone’s name, and even fewer that boast a general manager as well known and liked as David Ellsweig, aka “Campo Dave,” who has worked there for 24 years.

“Our success is a combination of the staff and consistency. Sticking to what everybody originally loved about the restaurant, and recognizing our loyal customers, adapting to the new ones that have come to town, and just providing a great experience,” Ellsweig said. “If you treat your employees right and your customers well, it’s a town that rewards you with loyalty.”

In celebration of 30 years, Campo is offering on Wednesday half off of all food and drinks to thank the community that has continued to support them.

“We’re sold out with reservations, but our doors are open,” Ellsweig said. “So whoever wants to come in say hello and hang out and party with us, are more than welcome. We hope a lot of people show up and have fun with us.”

Sarah Girgis is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.