Chris Dillmann | cdillmann@vaildaily.com
VAIL — One of Vail’s most prominent retail spaces will soon re-open with one of Vail’s most prominent names attached to it.
Gorsuch Ski Cafe will open in December at 254 Bridge St. in Vail Village in the old location of the Bridge Street Ski Haus.
The space, a stone’s throw from the bottom of Gondola One, is the site of the first commercial building in Vail and the town’s original ski shop, Vail Blanche.
The Gorsuch family says they envision the new location as a place where skiers of all types can start and finish their day, grabbing a coffee in the morning, an apres drink in the afternoon, and ski gear in between.
Plus, they see it as a spot where anyone in the community can come meet friends or have a business meeting.
“We’re hoping it’s going to be a great space at the base of the mountain that will be animated and alive with hospitality and a gathering place where people can come hang out,” said Jeff Gorsuch, co-owner of Gorsuch.
The cafe, based on a European ski cafe concept, will have seating for about 40-50 people, serving everything from espresso to beer, and breakfast burritos to bratwursts.
It will also offer ski services such as rentals and demos — as well as merchandise to buy.
There will be lockers downstairs, for the public to rent and also for guests of some local condo buildings and lodges, such as the Sonnenalp.
A Gorsuch Ski Cafe opened three years ago at the base of Aspen Mountain.
Gorsuch said the new Vail Gorsuch Ski Cafe will complement its other locations in Vail, including the flagship Clock Tower building location at the corner of Bridge Street and Gore Creek Drive.
Jeff Gorsuch’s parents, Olympic skiers David and Renie Gorsuch, opened Gorsuch Ltd. in Gunnison in 1962. They moved the store to the Clock Tower building in Vail in 1966. Over the years, it flourished as an icon of high-end ski-town fashion while staying true to its family-run, ski-shop roots.
Gorsuch now has Colorado stores in Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek and Avon and a location in Park City, Utah.
David and Renie Gorsuch, as well as David’s father, Jack, are members of the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. Jeff Gorsuch will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next week.
Christie Hill, then known as Blanche Hauserman, opened Vail Blanche with her business partner, Bunny Langmaid, in 1963. The store was later known as Vail Ski Rentals and Curtin-Hill Sports.
Intrawest took over the business in 1998, operating it under the name Vail Mountain Adventure Center before renaming it Bridge Street Ski Haus. Affiliates of KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Co., which became Alterra in 2018, purchased Intrawest in 2017.
Bridge Street Ski Haus closed Aug. 4.
“After a comprehensive internal review of Alterra Mountain Company’s retail strategy, a Vail store does not align with our direction,” an Alterra spokeswoman said in July.