GROUP970 Restaurants, currently operating five restaurant locations based in Vail and Beaver Creek, Colorado, has set their sights on New Braunfels, Texas for the their upcoming expansion. In a very fitting manner, the company’s first venture outside of the state will include a Blue Moose Pizza, the restaurant group’s first ever concept, in addition to a brand new, modern Italian inspired concept, 188 South. This announcement comes after just recently being named Business of the Year by the Vail Valley Partnership, a coveted award and one of which the 970 team is quite proud.
While the expansion of the Vail Valley based company to Texas may come as a surprise to some extensive consideration of the multiple parallels between the two locations along with a strong connection to the state amongst the key players of the GROUP970 team make New Braunfels a natural choice. Group970 Director of Marketing & Communications, Sarah Franke, stated “We feel the clientele and surrounding atmospheres of the [Vail] Valley and Comal County share a lot of important similarities; all that lend themselves to the core aspects of our restaurant concepts. We also welcome the challenge of learning and adjusting to an unknown area and are eager to immerse ourselves in our new community.”
When asked why the company decided on Comal County, Brian Nolan, Group970 owner, also referenced market similarities. “We have so many loyal customers from Texas here in the Vail Valley it seemed natural to expand to a place where many guests that enjoy our product can continue to be our guests a little closer to home.” However, Nolan acknowledged his love for the state and prior experience as a decision driver as well. This isn’t the first time Nolan has tried his hand in Texas. He previously owned and operated several restaurants throughout the state in locations ranging from Houston, Dallas, Austin and College Station. Though he has since made the Vail Valley his home, Texas has never been far from his mind and Nolan has been waiting for the right time and opportunity to make his return to the state. Thirty years later Nolan looks forward to the new venture saying the location choice was obvious, “we knew we wanted an area with a relaxed, family friendly vibe and a strong community foundation, similar to the Vail Valley. Also I’ve never stopped missing Texas. It will be a wonderful to get back close to family and friends and to make many new ones!”
Nolan is not on this “adventure,” as he might call it, alone. His close friend and colleague Chef Jay McCarthy will be with him
every step of the way. McCarthy, also once a resident of San Antonio, Austin and College Station, has been working in Colorado for the past fifteen years, eight of which he’s served as the Group970 Restaurants Corporate Chef. One major objective for McCarthy as he makes the move to Texas is to assure that the Texas Blue Moose experience stays true to that of the much loved Vail Valley concept; a fun and family friendly pizzeria at heart. The New Braunfels location will offer the same innovative and fresh ingredient menu items for which the Blue Moose has become known; most notably including their signature hand‐tossed, NY Style pizza crusts and unique list of specialty pizzas ‐ all part of what McCarthy calls his “pizza revolution.” And while McCarthy has spent years
perfecting the Blue Moose menu, 188 South offers the talented chef with a blank canvas for the creation of a variety of exciting and
inventive menu items. The new concept’s modern, rustic atmosphere of brick walls and wooden tables combines with the warmth of a wood fire oven to create a welcoming and casual ambiance. Though the details have yet to be finalized, McCarthy guarantees that the 188 South contemporary décor will be matched by an innovative menu that can best be described as Italian inspired with a Texas twist. He is thrilled to explore new menu ideas and is excited for the opportunity “to adapt to and incorporate new and local ingredients as we discover them [in Texas].”
McCarthy and Nolan will enjoy the camaraderie of many of the Group970 staffers as they establish the game plan for growth. The team is excitedly in overdrive as they all prepare, both in Colorado and Texas, for the late spring opening date. The team will most certainly look forward to potential employment exchanges as will the newly forming Texas team, several of which have already made their way to the mountains to begin acclimation to the 970 way of life. All look forward to becoming an integral part of the New Braunfels community and they all share in the excitement as the company embarks on this new adventure.