A FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
by Tejal Rao and Antoinette Bruno
January 2007

Winter sports have played a crucial role in the cultural development of Steamboat Springs, Colorado for centuries, beginning simply as transportation through the snow but quickly developing the small town into a top destination for serious skiers and snowboarders. While the Yampa River running through Steamboat makes for kayaking and rafting year-round and the geo-thermal hot springs are always warm, peak tourist-season begins with the first snow and ends in the spring. As a result, Steamboat restaurants face the challenges of seasonal tourism and must rely on a flux of seasonal cooks to help out in the busy season.

A large portion of seasonal cooks choose their work location according to their hobbies. It’s guaranteed that a team of young part-time or seasonal cooks traveling to Steamboat for the winter season are avid skiers or snowboarders looking to hit the slopes every morning before work. Tourists generally choose to rent cabins or condos rather than stay at hotels, meaning they have access to a full kitchen. Those who choose to get lunch on-the-go opt for the ease of casual lunching at the ski resort’s cafes right on the slopes. Consequently, a lot of restaurants don’t bother opening for lunch but do open early for dinner.

To attract employees to the remote mountain location, the City of Steamboat Springs offers cooks working at least 20 hours a week and their families free skiing and skating passes and bus passes; they are also paid overtime and offered workers compensation. The downside? Seasonal employees are considered “at-will” employees who can both resign at any time and be terminated at any time according to demand and performance. The downside for the chefs is the possibility of inconsistency in a team that stays only part-time and then leaves for another kitchen and another set of standards.

For chefs balancing a kitchen of full-time, part-time and seasonal cooks, scheduling the kitchen is a constant challenge. Committed first and foremost to their permanent employees, chefs must also adapt to meet the season’s flux of tourists. The solution for some restaurants is offering their full-timers generous vacations in the off-season or closing the kitchen altogether for a fall break before the winter rush. Another way to build in a return employee pull is partnering with a seasonal restaurant in the opposite season, guaranteeing that the same team will return year after year.

For both the seasonal restaurants and those open year-round, the fundamental culinary theme has naturally evolved into large portions of hearty comfort food and starch-centric dishes to boost carb-craving athletes. But Steamboat also offers eclectic cafés and restaurants that range from Modern American and Asian-inspired to greasy breakfast joints and our favorites in every category from dives to fine dining follow.