In 1975, only 750 residents lived in Carbondale and Main Street was a dirt road, but two physical therapists decided to open the Village Smithy Restaurant. Founders, Chris and Terry Chacos, love to tell the story about how two weeks before opening, they didn’t have a menu. The employees all pitched in to help get the eatery off the ground and “The Smithy” was born. Today, thousands of local residents and countless tourists can enjoy a meal in this quaint, historic restaurant.

A tradition in the Roaring Fork Valley, the Village Smithy is everyone’s choice for the best breakfasts available in the region. The food is delicious and the waitstaff is exceptionally friendly. An old sign in the restaurant says it all: “We reserve the right to serve everyone.”

Housed in a brick building built in 1904 – the home to a real black smith – the building had many roles before becoming a restaurant, including a schoolhouse and the largest tropical fish store on the Western Slope. Chris and Terry have since been succeeded by their son, Charlie Chacos, who purchased the restaurant from his parents in 1998. He is the current owner, along with Jared Ettleson, who joined the company in 2009 as a managing partner.

The Smithy attributes much of its success to the talents and efforts of current employees such as Amber Sparkles, Leticia Gomez, Conrado Dolores and hundreds of past employees including Lori Loeb, Kathy Zimney, Steve Inverso, Pat McGurk, Kim Cassady, Pat Daily, Debbie Gonzalez, Pat Dion, Leslie Johnson, Kelly Cole, Flash and Lois, among countless others.