Kenichi to open in Snowmass Base Village in summer 2021
The owners of the Kenichi restaurant brand have reached an agreement with the landlords of Snowmass Base Village to open a sushi restaurant there in the summer of 2021.
“Kenichi has been a valley staple for nearly three decades, consistently providing quality food to a loyal clientele. We’re thrilled they’re bringing the restaurant’s third location to (Snowmass Base Village). We think it’s the ideal fit,” Andy Gunion, Roaring Fork Valley managing partner for East West Partners, said in a statement Wednesday. “This addition, along with our other restaurants, is helping make SBV a premier dining destination in the valley.”
The space, which had been used by Sake, will be remodeled this winter. Developer East West Partners apprised Sake ownership earlier this month they would not be extending their lease.
“With the core of SBV now complete, developer East West Partners is continuing to diversify and elevate the dining options, and Kenichi is the next step in that evolution,” said a news release about the opening.
Kenichi ownership has had a presence in downtown Aspen since 1991 and another Kenichi-owned restaurant, Izakaya, opened in Carbondale in summer 2018.
“We’re so excited to grow the Kenichi brand and bring it to Snowmass, creating a great gathering spot with amazing food and drinks,” said Brent Reed, one of the Kenichi owners. “I first came to Snowmass on a family ski trip when I was a kid. My first winter in 1986, I lived with Aspen legend Hildur Anderson and heard her stories of growing up in Snowmass. Getting to open a restaurant in this town, I really feel like I’m living my childhood dreams.”
Another Base Village restaurant that has closed, State 38, will be replaced by a pop-up run by Aspen Skiing Co.
“Aspen Skiing Co. will be running a seasonal pop up restaurant in the space this winter, providing a fun rotating menu of shareable dishes and classic wines available for ordering on demand to provide guests with an additional, socially distanced dining option right at the base of the hill,” the news release said.
