Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A group of Fort Collins restaurateurs intend to open a Brauns Bar & Grill in the Harbor Hotel in downtown Steamboat Springs by mid-June. It will be the third Brauns restaurant in Colorado.

The new restaurant will go into the space left by the Swiss Haven restaurant when its lease expired Tuesday. "We want to be a place for everyone in the valley," said Scott Manning, one of Brauns' owners. "Our idea is to have fun. Our locations are sports oriented, but we're not a sports bar. If there's an Avalanche game it will be on (televisions) in the dining room."

Manning and his partners, brothers Steve and Ken Deline, also have plans to develop patio dining and a beer garden in the front courtyard of the Harbor. The Delines were among the investors when the Harbor Hotel Group LLC purchased the hotel from previous owner George Hussey for $3.9 million last September.

The owners have condos in Steamboat and have vacationed here for years. Manning said he took the opportunity to stay at the Harbor with his family this winter and enjoyed being within walking distance of dining and shopping.

Manning said Brauns is best know for its steaks, but diners will find old favorites like Reubens and club sandwiches on the menu.

Burgers start at $5.99, but vegans can dine on a Caprese sandwich of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil on focaccia.

Work has already begun on a new mural inside the restaurant, Manning said. It will depict people pursuing the outdoor sports that Steamboat residents are so passionate about.

Average menu prices are less than $10. Steaks and salmon top out in the $15 to $17 range.

Manning said the new ownership is intent on rehiring as many members of the Swiss Haven staff as possible. Already, he said, chef Aaron Thompson has agreed to stay. Manning's goal is a soft opening in early June with the restaurant in full swing by June 15.

Swiss Haven owner Erik Binggeli could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The other Brauns locations are at the Collindale golf course in Fort Collins and on Auraria Parkway across the parking lot from the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver.