The Lory Student Center’s Aspen Grille, revitalized with a redesigned space and new menu, is now open for lunch.
The student-staffed restaurant is in the northwest corner of Level 300 and features a reservable private dining room, a new teaching kitchen, two all-gender restrooms and a sleek new bar.
The updated space welcomes all members of the Colorado State University community. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday for in-house dining. Reservations are recommended but not required, and are best made through the Aspen Grille web page. Contact the Aspen Grille at (970) 491-7006 for more information.
Aspen Grille information
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday for in-house dining.
Reservations: Recommended but not required, and are best made through the Aspen Grille webpage.
Phone: (970) 491-7006.
Private dining reservations: Event Planning Services website or by phone at (970) 491-0229.
A new, private dining space that seats up to 12 people can be reserved 48 hours in advance for special occasions, department lunches or university job searches. The space is available to all members of the community. Managers hope parents and families take advantage of its comfortable space and convenient location while visiting campus.
Reservations for the private dining room can be made through the restaurant’s web page for occasions planned during business hours, and after-hour space reservations and food from LSC Catering can be requested through the Event Planning Services website or by phone at (970) 491-0229.
“A lot has changed,” Executive Chef and Operations Manager Ken O’Hearn said. “Our new space is more open, inclusive and inviting – everyone’s welcome. The Aspen Grille used to be tied to the University Club, which required membership. Its aesthetic was more of an executive vibe. We’re hoping students, staff and visitors all feel welcome here.”
An updated menu offers contemporary fare – appetizers, sandwiches, soup, salad, a protein bowl (the Southwestern Bowl) and desserts. There are more accessible dietary options as well, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free selections. Recipes are also nut-free.
There’s even a surprise on the menu: a selection of flavorful, custom mocktails ($4), including the “1870,” with ginger ale, blueberry compote, seltzer and lime wedge. Seasonal CSU beers, brewed at the LSC’s Ramskeller Brewhouse, will also be available on tap.
Prices range from $10 to $15. The average ticket for lunch most likely will be around $15 to $20, Catering Manager Benjamin Rosing said, depending on drinks, appetizers and perhaps dessert, such as an ice cream sandwich or a scoop of Walrus Ice Cream.
“We’d like it to be a space where students can come on a date, or where faculty and staff – when they don’t want to eat fast food – can sit down, conduct a meeting or have a nice meal,” O’Hearn said.
Rosing, who oversees the administration of Aspen Grille, added: “We’re steering the menu toward fresh, colorful dishes that offer more inclusive options for our guests. Our inaugural menu this semester has some new flavors, while paying respect to some of the Grille’s past favorites.”
A fresh, welcoming atmosphere
The redesign of the Aspen Grille space is just part of its complete renovation. Changes to the format and operation of the restaurant and a new chef’s easygoing approach, have changed the restaurant’s feel from top to bottom.
A reception desk where visitors once waited by the door has been moved inside the restaurant, windows are unobscured to let in natural light, and new paint, flooring and wall décor energize the space. Colorful artwork from the LSC’s collection, including two paintings of aspens by CSU alumna Becky Everitt, give the space a fresh, dynamic feel.
Photographic exhibits by CSU photographers Joe Mendoza and John Eisele are on display in the University Lounge outside of the Aspen Grille. The installations showcase favorites chosen by the photographers from images captured on campus. An additional collection by retired CSU photographer Bill Cotton will be installed later this spring.
The restaurant, operated in partnership with the LSC and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, was last open in May of 2022. Recent renovations to the LSC’s North End prompted a temporary change of location and suspended food service. In 2023, Aspen Grille set up shop at the Durrell Center as the Stateroom and focused primarily on classroom instruction.
With the reopening of the space in March, Aspen Grille is offering positions to students of every major – no previous restaurant experience is required. The restaurant was formerly staffed exclusively by Hospitality and Event Management students enrolled in the Aspen Grille course. The restaurant will remain a priority location for HEM students completing paid internships for their program.
“Working in the food industry is fast-paced and fun, at times stressful, but that’s good stuff,” O’Hearn said. “If you can serve in a restaurant, you can go out into the community and learn to serve there, as well.”
Students will prepare lunch plates in the kitchen, serve customers, tend bar and participate in virtually every aspect of the restaurant’s operations. They’ll be practicing soft skills as well, such as clear communication, problem-solving, time management and teamwork, he said.
Retail Foods Service Manager Sonja Gibbins has worked in LSC Dining since 2014 and has stepped in at Aspen Grille to help support new student employees. It’s a comfortable fit, as Gibbins is a graduate of the Hospitality and Event Management program and managed Aspen Grille in the 2000s, creating menus and managing the operation overall.
“We are tapping her expertise with student employees and her longtime work here at the LSC to help with policies and procedures, training, recipe development and opening tasks. She’s a super valuable addition to the opening team,” O’Hearn said.
Aspen Grille earns 3-Star Green Restaurant certification
Tuned into CSU community
O’Hearn, who is quick with a smile, imagines he’ll be busy in support of their efforts.
“I’ll be doing a little bit of everything,” he said. “I’ll be focusing on training at first, and once training is in place, I’ll be floating around the restaurant – serving, bartending, cooking and, when necessary, providing feedback.”
O’Hearn, a CSU alumnus (’91, business marketing), has worked in the service industry since 1984. Most recently, he worked for CSU Dining Services at the Foundry, a dining hall on the north side of campus. His experience includes kitchen management, bar management and venue operation, and he’s worked at several iconic Fort Collins locales, such as the Starlight and the Aggie Theatre, where he managed live music productions.
In the 1990s O’Hearn was also involved in local journalism, working at The Beat newspaper, covering local music, designing web pages and crafting multimedia presentations. He was even a road manager for a time for local and national bands and was a vendor touring with Ozzfest ’98, one of English rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s celebrated American tours, selling hemp and hemp products.
“I feel like Ken embodies Fort Collins in a way, from being a CSU alumnus to being a big part of the city’s music scene,” Rosing said.
For O’Hearn, being at the university and enjoying the challenge of this new position fits him like a green-and-gold oven mitt. He said he can’t imagine being anywhere else.
“I love Fort Collins and the university,” he said. “I love the energy it provides, and I love Old Town. This position is the culmination of everything I’ve done in this industry and everything I love.”
Growth in the future
As soon as the staff feels comfortable, managers of the Aspen Grille hope to add more selections to the menu and to expand operations to include breakfast service. Down the road, they hope to offer an afternoon happy hour and/or live music in the evenings.
There are also plans to implement additional sustainability practices, which for now include recycling, composting and some local sourcing of ingredients and products. The restaurant was recently recognized as a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association, improving from a Level 1 GRA certification in 2022.
“We will make efforts to source more locally,” Rosing said. “We’re hoping to include more fresh ingredients sourced from reputable Colorado vendors.”
