Before and After: Etown transforms into light and bright CAYA restaurant

Editor’s Note: This story is from the October issue of Vail Valley HOME Magazine.

When JD Childress, owner of CAYA (Come As You Are) restaurant in Edwards, purchased the property a couple of years ago, it was the only place he would consider buying, due to its prime location and the customer base Etown had built over nearly 20 years; in fact, it was a community gathering space to watch sports on the multiple television screens. Childress knew he’d renovate — but he didn’t know what drastic measures that would entail.

“I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll change the name and keep the food a little bit, or maybe I’ll change the food and keep the name.’ And after being in there for several months, I determined that I wanted to blow it up and start fresh, and that’s what we did,” he said. “We really touched everything in this building, from the acoustics to the heating and cooling to the plumbing and lighting — everything. It’s a brand-new restaurant.”

Etown was a pretty dark sports bar with what he describes as huge, black furniture and an awful flow.

“The layout maybe 20 years ago worked, but it was a very inefficient layout in my opinion. I knew, with the size of the room, that if we removed all that furniture and put in practical, spacious furniture and opened up some walls and broadened natural light that this place could take on a completely different feel,” he said.

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The team, which included Childress, CEO and partner of Ulfbuilt Alex Chay, Project Manager Gregg Quinlin, Superintendent Daniel Boone and David Shike of Shike Design who was the designer for the project, renovated both the interior and the exterior.

Outside, they removed the inoperable fire pit on the unfinished concrete patio and installed steel paneling around the sides while reusing some of the vintage barnwood already on the building to pay homage to the old bar. They also dotted the south-facing patio, surrounded by a custom steel privacy screen, with new umbrellas and new tables.

They worked with an architect and structural engineer to open up the entrance wall with double-glass doors, each 12 feet wide, and extra windows to the entrance to usher in natural light. Light, natural wood tones greet diners at the hostess station.

“When people walk in, it’s kind of a jaw-dropping moment,” Childress said. “What I was trying to go for was to lighten it up. You really get this inside-outside feel.”

“Now, when you have lunch there, if you’re sitting inside and the doors are wide open, there’s really nice airflow and light coming from outside to inside,” Chay said.

The bar extends to the left of the hostess stand. Though it’s located in the same area, the team changed it from U-shaped to more of a hexagonal shape, with custom steel shelving lit by LEDs to highlight the liquor and a large pergola over the top, containing plants and Childress’ cookbooks, providing more of a homey feel.

“The whole bar top and surround is a beautiful stone and steel. There’s much more to look at and to have as part of the experience now,” Chay said.

The configuration alteration allowed the dining room to gain about 5 more feet; a wooden beam wall with vertical spaces delineates the bar from the dining area.

“It creates two different zones, so you can be sitting at the high tops at the bar, or you can be in the dining room, but it’s all visible from everywhere,” Childress said.

They tore out the large, round booths in favor of sleek rectangular booths and white oak tables and chairs, which maximize seating — as well as allow for small- and larger-group tables — without crowding people.

Childress describes the food as globally inspired, made-from-scratch, elevated casual and highly seasonal.

“We’re doing everything from scratch, where, previously, at Etown, there was a lot of opening boxes and heating it, if you will,” he said. “I just want to have another cool, laid-back place for our community to come and get high-quality food at an affordable place.”

Due to the globally inspired theme, wall décor includes a huge wooden map of the world, as well as wallpaper as an accent. His cookbooks on shelves and framed photos of musicians above booths bring in a fun, light feel, especially since music is an important component of the restaurant’s concept.

Black, stainless steel pendants with exposed lightbulbs and improved, strategically placed, adjustable-brightness modern track lighting highlight the décor and pathways.

“Everything’s just lighter, and it’s softer,” he said.

Before the renovation, a full wall with a door sequestered the private dining room. By removing the wall, that area now feels like an extension of the dining room. However, curtains close to separate the two rooms for private parties.

While the kitchen remained within the same footprint, it is brand new — including all of the equipment and a larger walk-in cooler and flooring. Childress said it allows them to cook anything — and prepare cuisine much more efficiently.

Of course, as with any major renovation, the team did face challenges. One came in the form of replacing all of the existing plumbing drain lines, which had been clogging up for years.

“As a result, there was a smell that was coming through there that, years before, the previous owner and JD were always trying to figure out where the smell was coming from, so we installed all new plumbing lines throughout the building,” Chay said.

But the biggest challenge involved replacing the ventilation in the kitchen because it all ties into the roof structure, so they had to install all new restaurant ventilation.

“There were no shortcuts taken by JD in the restaurant. Everything was replaced or thought out. Anything that was old that was not working right or didn’t serve a purpose was replaced,” Chay said. “And Gregg Quinlin and Daniel Boone also poured their heart and soul into it. They played a critical role in the project’s success, working through issues as they arose and pouring their energy into making the project successful.”

As CAYA’s website said, it’s “a fresh take on mountain dining (where) every great meal starts with making people feel welcome,” thanks to the renovation.