The Red Onion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Red Onion
South elevation and partial east profile, 2010
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Restaurant information
Established	1892 (1892)
Current owner(s)	Brad Smith and Michael Tierney
Chef	Michael Fiske
Food type	American
Street address	420 E. Cooper St.
City	Aspen
State	Colorado
Postal/ZIP code	81611
Country	United States
Coordinates	39°11′17″N 106°49′9″W / 39.18806°N 106.81917°W / 39.18806; -106.81917

The Red Onion is a very old and famous restaurant in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It opened way back in 1892, making it the oldest restaurant in the city! The building itself is a three-story brick structure with a classic, fancy style from the late 1800s. Because it's so old and important, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In its early days, The Red Onion was one of only a few places where people could get a meal in Aspen. It still has many of its original features inside, including a real bullet hole in the bar! Over the years, as Aspen became a popular place for skiing, famous musicians like Billie Holiday and John Denver even performed there. The restaurant stayed open for 115 years straight before closing for a few years for repairs.

The Historic Building

The Red Onion is located on East Cooper Avenue in Aspen. This street is a special area just for people walking, with brick paths and trees. You can often see tables outside the restaurant when the weather is nice.

The Red Onion building in Aspen, Colorado. It's a historic place!

The building is made of red brick and has three main sections on the front. It's two and a half stories tall. The front of the building has big glass windows and a main entrance on the right side. Above the windows are smaller, rectangular windows.

The second floor has three round-arched windows. These windows have black sills and are topped with decorative brickwork. At the very top of the building, under the roof, there's more fancy decoration with brackets supporting a wide overhang. In the middle, you can see "1892" written in gold letters, which is the year the building was built. You can also see "T. LATTA," who was the first owner.

Inside, The Red Onion still has its original pressed tin ceiling, the old bar, and a cool clay tile floor. It's believed that two small Hungarian gypsy figurines above the bar are also original. And yes, the bar still has that bullet hole from an accidental shot by a police officer in 1899! There's even a secret tunnel in the basement that used to lead to a nearby bank.

A Look at History

Aspen grew very quickly in the 1880s because of the "Colorado Silver Boom." This meant lots of silver was found there! By 1890, about 10,000 people lived in Aspen. In 1892, Tom Latta, a local leader, built this brick building and opened a saloon. A saloon was like a restaurant and bar back then.

The saloon quickly became popular. Miners and other local men would gather there to watch sports like boxing and wrestling. It was one of only three places in Aspen where you could get a meal. People first called it "the brick saloon," but soon everyone started calling it "the red onion." This was a slang term back then for something rare and special, like how we might say "white elephant" today.

When the silver boom ended, many people left Aspen, and many buildings became empty or were destroyed. But The Red Onion stayed open! In 1918, Tim Kelleher bought it. He kept it open even during Prohibition, a time when alcohol was illegal. He did this by serving sandwiches instead of drinks.

After World War II, people became interested in Aspen as a place for skiing. In 1946, a soldier named John Litchfield, who had trained nearby, bought The Red Onion. He made "The Red Onion" the official name of the building. He also updated it, and it became a popular spot for people after skiing. Famous singers like Billie Holiday even performed there!

In the 1960s, a new owner named Werner Kuster added a fancy restaurant and a place for performances next door. More musicians played at The Red Onion, and it became a favorite spot for Hollywood celebrities. John Denver, who lived in Aspen and wrote songs about the area, was one of the performers.

In the late 1970s, East Cooper Avenue was turned into a walking street, which made The Red Onion even more inviting. The restaurant continued to operate under different owners. In 2006, after 115 years of serving food and drinks, The Red Onion closed for major renovations.

Many people wanted to see the historic restaurant reopen. In 2010, Jennifer Colosi and her brother Thomas took over. They finished the renovations and reopened The Red Onion, making it even better while keeping its historic charm. They kept the name and the traditional menu, which includes dishes like steak and eggs. They also brought back the popular musical performances, with local musicians playing weekly.

Images for kids

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  The logo for The Red Onion restaurant.