This winter, Mountain Village's family lunch room at the base of Chairs 1 and 10 goes back to the use it was approved for in 1994. On September 17, Mountain Village Town Council approved a conditional use permit that lets Telluride Ski and Golf turn the Big Billie's restaurant space into a dedicated Kids Ski School facility. Public food service moves outdoors to a food truck. The permit covers one ski season and expires April 4, 2027.
Most coverage has treated this as the loss of a restaurant. The application frames it differently. Telluride Ski and Golf told Town staff the temporary permit would let the company "better evaluate the needs of our customer base and make solid business decisions moving forward." That makes this winter a measured season. The lunches bought at the Meadows base between opening day and April will feed into whatever goes there next.
A Lunchroom Before It Was a Restaurant
The Town's staff memo is clear about the building's history. The Big Billie's dormitory and restaurant space was first approved as a ski school lunchroom in 1994, before the Town of Mountain Village was incorporated and before the Community Development Code existed. Staff concluded that the new use "aligns with the original approval."
Over time it also became a public restaurant with a simple, predictable menu. The Town's business listing describes casual American family food: burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, soup, chili, chicken fingers, pulled pork, snacks, coffee and hot chocolate, with beer, wine and soft drinks. The listed winter schedule started with coffee, hot chocolate and sundries from 9 to 11 a.m. Lunch ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and packaged salads and sandwiches were available until 4 p.m. On the resort's own dining page it sits in the "Family Dining | $$" tier. That page still lists Big Billie's as a public restaurant, but it was published in July, before the council vote, so it describes the old arrangement.
Ski school children were already part of the building. Their lunch program ran in the basement. The 2026 plan moves the children upstairs and the public outside.
What Changes at the Base This Season
The project narrative, dated August 27, 2026, gives the new layout floor by floor.
| Through last winter | Winter 2026-27 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main floor restaurant | Public family dining | Dedicated Kids Ski School space, next to the main kitchen |
| Ski school lunch | Basement | Main floor |
| Lower level | Ski school lunch | Lockers, overflow tables, general lounge |
| Public food service | Indoors, lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | The Little Pink Truck, generally 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Public seating | Indoor restaurant | Picnic tables by the truck, plus basement seating |
The Little Pink Truck is a family-owned food truck and catering company from Grand Junction. The application says it has served "fresh, chef-inspired food" for more than eleven years. Its own website lists Reuben and grilled cheese sandwiches, wraps, salads, a kids' grilled cheese and rotating soups, plus vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options. Those are the truck's everyday offerings. No resort menu or ski-season prices have been published.
The Telluride Ski and Snowboard School side of the change has a clear rationale in the filing. Bringing the program into the former restaurant gives families a central meeting point, makes it easier for instructors and students to move through the building, and lets children "spend more time on the mountain and less time traveling between facilities." Being next to the main kitchen also allowed for a proposed healthier children's menu.
The Seating Question Council Left Open
The biggest physical change is the number of public seats indoors. At the September 17 meeting, Design Review Board alternate Tobin Brown called the space being given up a 200-seat restaurant. The application's covered alternative was a 15-by-24-foot WeatherPort tent on a temporary wood deck, seating about 20 guests and designed to look like the seasonal deck at High Camp.
Council's approval did not include the tent. Mayor Scott Pearson listed "no tent" among the conditions of the unanimous one-year trial. The Town's summary says the structure is limited to seating only, with no permanent tent. That leaves picnic tables in front of the truck and the seating Telluride Ski and Golf representative Steve Swenson said would stay available in the basement. On a cold or stormy day, the warm place to eat a food-truck lunch is downstairs in the building, not next to the truck.
The site has its own winter conditions. Asked about ice around the building, Swenson said "there's some drainage issue, and there's no heated walkways or heated surfaces down there," and added that the company maintains the area. Council's conditions require snow to be kept clear and the area kept well maintained.
A Season Written as a Test
The permit is temporary by design. Swenson told council the change addresses a near-term need: "We're trying to solve a shorter-term issue with making sure we're handling our ski school and our kids properly. We don't have a long-term plan right now."
Council's approval turned that into a schedule. The conditions are:
- Keep the area clear of snow and well maintained
- Use the structure for seating only, with no permanent tent
- Bring a long-term plan to Council for review when the permit expires on April 4, 2027
Pearson explained the trade-off in one sentence to The Telluride Times:
"Ski school kids are part of the 'visitors' experience,' right? This would enhance their experience."
The zoning explains why this is a council decision. Lot OSP-35-C covers 3.53 acres and is zoned Active Open Space. Under the Community Development Code, ski-area restaurants on that land are conditional uses, so any lasting food service at this base needs council approval. At the end of the season the truck setup is removed and the site goes back to its existing condition. The next version of lunch at Chairs 1 and 10 will go through the same public process, and this winter's use will be the evidence in front of council.
Lunch Within Reach of the Meadows
For anyone who wants a sit-down casual lunch this season, the closest options are on the mountain or a short walk away in the village. Hours below come from Town and resort directories, which carry no publication dates, so confirm them before you go.
On the mountain, from the resort's dining directory:
- Gorrono Ranch serves burgers, BBQ and chili and is listed at $$, the same tier Big Billie's held.
- High Camp Warming Hut serves sandwiches, soups and snacks at $$.
- Alpino Vino, Allred's and Bon Vivant are listed at $$$$, a different kind of lunch.
In the village, from the Town's business listings:
- Crazy Elk Pizza on the plaza serves pizza, salads, sandwiches and soft-serve, daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in winter.
- El Rhino Taco & Coffee Bar in Market Plaza serves tacos, burritos, coffee and breakfast items, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in winter.
- Sunshine Store in the Franz Klammer breezeway has coffee, snacks, basic groceries and grab-and-go food, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter.
- Tomboy Tavern in the Village Core is listed by the resort as casual American at $$ to $$$.
The truck's 9 a.m. start is earlier than the 11 a.m. lunch service Big Billie's listed. That gives the base something hot at breakfast and keeps a quick lunch possible without taking skis off for long.
The Dates That Frame the Trial
- September 17, 2026. Council approves the conditional use permit for Lot OSP-35-C.
- November 26, 2026. Targeted opening day at Telluride Ski Resort, subject to change, and the first day the new arrangement would be in use.
- April 4, 2027. The resort's listed closing date and the day the permit expires. The long-term plan goes to council for review at that point.
The permit and the ski season end on the same day. Whatever comes back to Town Council next spring will be based on one season of truck service, basement seating and a ski school working out of the former restaurant.
When a base-area change like this one is decided, it affects every property within walking distance of the lifts. If you own near the Meadows or are considering a property close to Chairs 1 and 10, Lars Carlson follows these permits from application to expiration. Request a confidential consultation.
