Site search
sponsored by
News
Sports
ENLARGE
The Magic Buzz is Scott Calliham's first Base Village project. On Feb. 12, his second, Base Camp, is set to open.
It's official: Snowmass Villager Scott Calliham is making a buzz in Base Village.
The longtime local, and former director of sales for Base Village developer Related WestPac, is now an owner/operator of two eateries at the foot of Fanny Hill.
In January, Calliham opened the Magic Buzz. A grab-and-go espresso and sandwich shop housed in a converted Volkswagen bus, the Magic Buzz has already hit its stride in Snowmass Village.
“It's been good and steady … people have really responded well to what we're doing,” said Calliham, adding that the Buzz's quick-fix menu of breakfast burritos and bagels in the morning, wraps at lunch, and coffee drinks anytime has certainly filled a niche in Base Village.
“It's a funky addition to Base Village, and I think everyone's really enjoying that.”
The idea has been so well-received that Calliham's dream of franchising the concept is beginning to materialize. He has received at least one call from an Aspen business hoping to expand operations to include a Magic Buzz-type eatery. And, already, Magic Buzz merchandise made from re-purposed materials – think messenger bags made from bike tires and caps made from recycled plastic bottles – is a hot seller
“What we're doing is causing a stir,” said Calliham. “It's great to see, for us and for Snowmass Village.”
But the Magic Buzz is not Calliham's only venture that's causing a stir in Snowmass. On Friday, Calliham will open Base Camp Bar & Grill in the space formerly occupied by Junk.
A casual eatery with a “party-crowd” atmosphere, Calliham believes this new endeavor will fill the void left when Junk and Liquid Sky were closed at the start of the ski season.
“We've done this in a short time frame, obviously,” said Calliham, who signed on with Related WestPac to open business in the space just recently. “But I think we're on the right track with our concept for Base Camp.”
The concept, according to Calliham, is simple. Base Camp will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until evening, serving your basic slopeside fare of burgers, brats, wings, fries, nachos and the like, both inside and outside. Then at après ski, the outside upstairs bar will turn into a party, with live bands (Jes Grew kicks it all off on Friday) or DJs every day. The indoor TVs will further the ski-town mood with video and DVD footage of adventure sports.
“We assembled a great team of area residents and we are looking forward to creating an old-school, après-ski scene with live music that gets people dancing in their ski boots,” said Calliham.
Diving headfirst into the notoriously challenging restaurant business – and in a spot as wrought with ups and downs as Base Village – doesn't seem to un-nerve the 44-year-old, married father of two small children, however.
“This is important. It's a great opportunity personally, but also for Snowmass Village,” said Calliham, who in addition to being an entrepreneur and restaurateur hangs his real estate shingle with BJ Adams. “I think we all understand we have a lot at stake here, but we all want to see Snowmass Village get back on track and this is the way to do it.
“We need to liven things back up … re-create what Snowmass Village used to be like.”
Calliham also thanked the community for stepping in to help get this latest venture off the ground and running in record time.
The longtime local, and former director of sales for Base Village developer Related WestPac, is now an owner/operator of two eateries at the foot of Fanny Hill.
In January, Calliham opened the Magic Buzz. A grab-and-go espresso and sandwich shop housed in a converted Volkswagen bus, the Magic Buzz has already hit its stride in Snowmass Village.
“It's been good and steady … people have really responded well to what we're doing,” said Calliham, adding that the Buzz's quick-fix menu of breakfast burritos and bagels in the morning, wraps at lunch, and coffee drinks anytime has certainly filled a niche in Base Village.
“It's a funky addition to Base Village, and I think everyone's really enjoying that.”
The idea has been so well-received that Calliham's dream of franchising the concept is beginning to materialize. He has received at least one call from an Aspen business hoping to expand operations to include a Magic Buzz-type eatery. And, already, Magic Buzz merchandise made from re-purposed materials – think messenger bags made from bike tires and caps made from recycled plastic bottles – is a hot seller
“What we're doing is causing a stir,” said Calliham. “It's great to see, for us and for Snowmass Village.”
But the Magic Buzz is not Calliham's only venture that's causing a stir in Snowmass. On Friday, Calliham will open Base Camp Bar & Grill in the space formerly occupied by Junk.
A casual eatery with a “party-crowd” atmosphere, Calliham believes this new endeavor will fill the void left when Junk and Liquid Sky were closed at the start of the ski season.
“We've done this in a short time frame, obviously,” said Calliham, who signed on with Related WestPac to open business in the space just recently. “But I think we're on the right track with our concept for Base Camp.”
The concept, according to Calliham, is simple. Base Camp will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until evening, serving your basic slopeside fare of burgers, brats, wings, fries, nachos and the like, both inside and outside. Then at après ski, the outside upstairs bar will turn into a party, with live bands (Jes Grew kicks it all off on Friday) or DJs every day. The indoor TVs will further the ski-town mood with video and DVD footage of adventure sports.
“We assembled a great team of area residents and we are looking forward to creating an old-school, après-ski scene with live music that gets people dancing in their ski boots,” said Calliham.
Diving headfirst into the notoriously challenging restaurant business – and in a spot as wrought with ups and downs as Base Village – doesn't seem to un-nerve the 44-year-old, married father of two small children, however.
“This is important. It's a great opportunity personally, but also for Snowmass Village,” said Calliham, who in addition to being an entrepreneur and restaurateur hangs his real estate shingle with BJ Adams. “I think we all understand we have a lot at stake here, but we all want to see Snowmass Village get back on track and this is the way to do it.
“We need to liven things back up … re-create what Snowmass Village used to be like.”
Calliham also thanked the community for stepping in to help get this latest venture off the ground and running in record time.
