Following failed negotiations with Outlaws and Legends Restaurant Group, the Gaffner Hospitality Group recently inked a deal with the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District to operate the Hangar Restaurant under a new name at the 18-hole golf course beginning May 1.
The Gafner Group is not new to Estes Park. They currently operate Ember Restaurant and Bar at the Estes Park Resort and plan to continue that arrangement.
Community members and golfers alike will enjoy a completely renovated facility with new fixtures, features, and seating when entering the Hangar under its new name, Club House Fairway Tavern, said owner Sean Gafner.
Demolition on the current interior begins next week. It is slated to have color hues that complement the setting.
Seating will be increased to accommodate 98 patrons inside and 50 outside on the deck.
And while the menu will have items aimed at golfers, such as grab-and-go items meant for picking up between the ninth and tenth holes, even non-golfers will enjoy trying the Club House’s “killer hotdog,” Gafner promised.
“The restaurant will not be just for golfers,” Gafner said, “but for everyone. Our goal is to turn it into a year-round restaurant.” He also said the venue is a perfect location for special events such as weddings.
Conceptually, the plan is for the Club House Fairway Tavern to be a full-service, casual, modern American restaurant and bar featuring farm-fresh ingredients. Gafner works with 13 local farmers, primarily from the Longmont area, to use as much locally grown produce as possible in all his restaurants.
“While Ember is more upscale,” Gafner said, “we really care about our customers.” In addition to that hot dog, the Club House Fairway Tavern will also serve steak and seafood.
The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m. Happy hour will be from 3 to 5 p.m. daily. Prime rib dinners are planned for Friday and Saturday nights from 5 p.m. until closing.
Gafner’s eldest son, Caleb, who finished a three-year stint in France working in a three-star Michelin restaurant, will open the restaurant.
This will be the sixth restaurant Gafner’s group has established in northern Colorado in the past 11 years. Four of those eateries are in Longmont.
Gafner and his wife, Rebecca, opened The Roost in Longmont in 2015. The couple also owns three other Longmont restaurants: Jefe’s Taco and Tequila, opened in 2016; Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant and Bar, opened in 2022; and the 99 Bar Saloon, opened in 2023.
Their foray into the Estes Park market came in 2024 when they renovated the restaurant formerly occupied by The Dunraven and opened Ember.