For half a century, the Village Smithy has been a cornerstone of Carbondale, serving up hearty meals and a welcoming atmosphere through every season of change.

Housed in a former blacksmith shop and still bearing its original brickwork, the restaurant is celebrating its 50th anniversary of serving breakfast and lunch to generations of Roaring Fork Valley residents and visitors.

“We built this place on ‘great food, better people,'” second-generation owner Charlie Chacos said. “You couldn’t get to 50 years without either. We are so fortunate that we have had an endless array of amazing employees, a clientele that just keeps coming back, and just so humbled and honored to make it to 50.”

The Village Smithy will host a 50th anniversary celebration from 5:30-8 p.m. Monday, May 5 — Cinco de Mayo — at the restaurant’s location on the corner of Third and Main streets in Carbondale.

“It’s our way to give back to a community that has given so much to us over 50 years,” Village Smithy co-owner Jared Ettelson said. 

The party, open to the public, will offer appetizers, margaritas, and live music from Electric Lemon, a duo that has performed on Father’s Day at the Smithy for nearly two decades. Weather permitting, lawn games and outdoor activities will also be part of the festivities. 

For Chacos and Ettelson—both Roaring Fork Valley natives—the 50-year milestone represents more than a business success. It reflects the restaurant’s deep-rooted connection to the community across multiple generations.

Chacos took over for his parents in 1998, who turned the blacksmithing house into one of the community’s culinary pillars. Ettleson, who washed dishes in the Village Smithy kitchen when he was a teenager, joined as a co-owner in 2009. Now, nearly 20 years later, their kids are growing up together, intertwined with the restaurant the same way their parents were a generation ago. 

“Both of my daughters, Reece and Kira, started working here as soon as they were old enough,” Ettelson said in the news release announcing the Cinco de Mayo celebration. “That’s the kind of place the Smithy is—it’s not just a job, it’s a part of our family.”

The connection runs deep. Chacos and Ettleson said they have been seeing familiar faces every week for over 30 years.

“Some of the guests here know more about the menu than some of my staff,” Ettleson joked.

The Village Smithy has been the backdrop for countless birthday’s, anniversaries, and life-long memories. Its longevity comes down to a simple principle: serving the community that has served them. 

The restaurant is open daily for dine-in and takeout from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.