Monday Business Briefs: New Aspen pop-ups for Jimmy’s, Ski Butlers
Asian street-food restaurant premiers in December
The restaurant group behind Jimmy’s American Restaurant & Bar is partnering with chefs David Wang and Kiyong Kim on a new winter pop-up restaurant dubbed Hao House: Far East Street Food. The restaurant is scheduled to open today, according to a news release.
“On our recent Jimmy’s trip to Taiwan, our good friend and chef David Wang (aka the Ramen Monster) joined us for a week where we were able to get to know each other even better,” said Jimmy Yeager, owner of Jimmy’s American Restaurant & Bar. “Upon returning home and, after making the difficult decision that the Bodega was not sustainable for the winter, we spoke to David and formed a partnership for him to lead the kitchen and create a menu of fast-casual Asian street food.”
The menu will include a rotating set of shareable items inspired by Taiwan, Korean and Japanese cuisine, complemented by globally inspired cocktails, Asian beers, sake and wine.
The space for Hao House, located at 307 S. Mill St. in Aspen and owned by developer Mark Hunt, became available when Yeager and his management team decided to close Jimmy’s Bodega for the winter.
“We always knew that the Bodega in its current location had a limited lifespan, as the owner of the building has always had plans to redevelop the property,” Yeager said. “It has become apparent that his plans will probably become a reality in the spring. Without the summer season, the Bodega is not a sustainable concept to operate during the winter. It is too small (half the size of the summer with the patio) and the mixed fine dining seafood menu is too expensive to produce.”
It is possible, however, that Hao House could have a life longer than a pop-up, Yeager said.
“Another reason to create the pop-up is that it is possible the building owner will not get his permits, and in that case, we may be able to reopen Bodega for the lucrative summer season,” Yeager said. “But we are really looking forward to working with David and Ki. No matter what, the new concept will be a heck of a lot of fun.”
For now, Hao will accept walk-ins only and the tentative opening hours will be from 4 to 10 p.m. for food, with the bar open later.
“These are flavors that I crave pretty much all the time, and to be able to share this kind of food memory with this place I now call home is something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” Wang said.
The Bodega concept, meanwhile, will be incorporated into the offering at Jimmy’s American Restaurant & Bar, with the revamped menu scheduled to debut Dec. 6.
Rossignol, Ski Butlers join forces
Rossignol will open its first North American retail pop-up boutique in Aspen with a soft launch scheduled Dec. 21.
The Aspen store will join other Rossignol sites in France, Italy, Switzerland and Norway, including last month’s new Paris flagship store location.
Located in the Benton building at 521 E. Hyman Ave., the Rossignol retail boutique will be on the first floor, and the second-floor mezzanine, “Atelier Ski by Ski Butlers,” will be a high-performance demo center.
“This opportunity in Aspen speaks volumes to our relationship with Rossignol,” said Bryn Carey, CEO of Ski Butlers. “We have partnered with Rossignol, since the founding of Ski Butlers in 2004, to offer our customers some of the most iconic and innovative skis and snowboards in the industry. Atelier Ski by Ski Butlers will highlight this, giving our customers a one-of-a-kind experience.”
“We are incredibly excited to introduce the Aspen market to a unique brand experience that celebrates the history of the Rossignol brand,” said Francois Goulet, president of Rossignol Group North America. “Aspen itself is a historic ski community and the perfect environment to showcase the breadth of the Rossignol apparel offer and its convergence of technicity and fashion.”
