Stonehouse to become Beach House

FORT COLLINS – On July 11, the Stonehouse Grille in Fort Collins will
close and begin a three-week transformation from a Scottish sports pub
into a beach bar and restaurant. From Burns to Buffet, as it were.

Stonehouse
owners Scott Kintz and Kit Sutherland have struck a deal with Steve
Lauer, a major franchiser for Subway and Qdoba shops in Northern
Colorado, and business partner Ron Ritter to fill the 10,000-square-foot
space at 125 S. College Ave. with The Beach House, built around five
distinctly different dining areas. Kintz and Sutherland will continue to
own the building.

“Last year, Kit and I were thinking about
where we wanted to concentrate our energies,´ said Kintz, who also has
an interest in several quick-lube automotive shops in Longmont and
Windsor. “As my grandfather used to say, we were ‘going 14 ways from
Sunday’; we needed to make some decisions.”

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There were some
additional complications, aside from the fact that 2009 was a terrible
year for all restaurants.

“We thought that as much as we loved
having the restaurant, maybe 10,000 square feet wasn’t the best size for
our Scottish pub/sports bar concept,” Kintz explained. “We talked with
Nick (Christensen) and Ryan (Schaefer) at Chrisland and told them if
someone had a good concept that needed our space, we would consider
becoming just landlords and getting out of the restaurant business.”

Lauer
had a concept in mind – and also happened to be working with
Christensen and Schaefer.

“I had been thinking about developing a
fully themed beach bar and restaurant,” Lauer said. “I wanted to create
an environment that would remind people of the best beach vacation they
had ever had: in Cabo, the Caribbean or Hawaii. This space looked
perfect.”

Kintz and Sutherland had one condition before the deal
could go through.

“We needed to be sure that our staff was
welcome to continue working there,” Kintz said. “You hear stories of
staff arriving at work to find a ‘Closed’ sign on the door. We weren’t
going to do that.”

For Lauer, keeping the existing staff, chef
and manager on the payroll while they train in the new concept was no
sacrifice.

“I opened my first Subway shop in Fort Collins when I
was 20,” he said. “Since then, I have owned probably 55 restaurants, all
fast-food. (A full-service restaurant) is a new animal for me. I’m
lucky to have such great people working for me.”

After the
conclusion of the World Cup Tournament, the Stonehouse will say “Ae
fareweel, alas, for ever!” On Aug. 1, the Beach House will open its big
new doors.

“We are extending the patio inside, the first of five
themed spaces,” Lauer said. “One of the first things you will see is
the tortilla machine turning out warm tortillas for the fish tacos. The
menu will feature tortas – a Mexican sandwich – shrimp, fish and other
items you would expect to find at a beach restaurant.”

The drink
list will include tropical smoothies and shakes, both virgin and non.
Downstairs are dining areas and the Cabo Cantina. Upstairs will feature
Adirondack chairs (kid sizes available) and a space to play cornhole, a
beanbag toss game.

“We want people to relax and stay a little
longer than they usually do at a restaurant,” Lauer said. “We’re going
to have music: steel band and reggae and lots of other kinds. Every
month we will have a full-moon party. And if we can figure out a way to
add some sweet salt air to the atmosphere, we will do that, too.”

Because
opening a restaurant fulfilled a long-held dream for Kintz, letting go
of the Stonehouse Grille is a little bittersweet.

“But change is
good,” he said. “We want to see Old Town thrive. As building owners, we
think we have found the right person to help that happen.”