Big Billie's Goes Back to Being a Ski School Lunchroom This Winter
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
At the base of Chairs 1 and 10, the building most skiers know as Big Billie's sits on a 3.53-acre parcel the Town of Mountain Village lists as lot OSP-35-C, zoned Active Open Space. This winter the main-floor restaurant will be gone. Telluride Ski & Golf is turning that space into a dedicated Kids Ski School facility. Public lunch at the base moves outdoors to a food truck.
On paper, the change sends the building back to its first use. The Town's staff memo notes that the Big Billie's dormitory and restaurant space was approved as a ski school lunchroom in 1994. That was before the Town of Mountain Village existed and before its Community Development Code was written. The kids are getting the building back. Adults buying lunch at that base are getting a one-season trial, and its end date is already on the calendar.
The plan moves the Telluride Ski and Snowboard School's children's lunch program up from the basement to the main floor. The Telluride Times reported that the main floor is also where public dining used to happen. According to the staff memo, the reason is to centralize where families meet ski school and to improve how students and instructors move through the building, which gives kids more time on snow.
Steve Swenson, who represented Telluride Ski & Golf at the hearing, called it a short-term fix. "We're trying to solve a shorter-term issue with making sure we're handling our ski school and our kids properly," he said, as reported by The Telluride Times. "We don't have a long-term plan right now."
The application says the company wants the temporary permit so it can study what its customers need and make business decisions from there. So this winter's setup works as a field test. How people actually use the base between Thanksgiving and early April is the data that comes next.
Here is the arrangement council approved, compared with what was proposed:
In other words, the old ski school lunchroom downstairs becomes the public's indoor seating, and the kids move upstairs.
For a sense of scale, Tobin Brown, an alternate on Mountain Village's Design Review Board, described Big Billie's at the hearing as a 200-seat restaurant facility. Even the tent that council turned down would have covered about 20 of those seats.
One more practical detail if you're planning lunch here. The resort's online dining directory still lists Big Billie's as a restaurant with its December 4, 2025 opening date. That listing was written before the September decision and does not reflect this winter's layout.
The vendor named in the application is The Little Pink Truck, which the application describes as a family-owned food truck and catering company based in Grand Junction that has been operating for more than eleven years. The owner is Patricia Raffaelli. She told KKCO in July 2026 that she bought the business in 2015. That same report covered the truck feeding crews on the Snyder Fire early in the firefight.
The truck's published menu lists chef-inspired sandwiches, wraps, salads, homemade soups, a kids' grilled cheese and drinks, with vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options. That is the company's general menu. The Mountain Village application only promises "fresh, chef-inspired food," so the exact winter lineup at the base has not been published.
The menu fits the crowd at this base. A kids' grilled cheese and quick soups and sandwiches make sense at the lifts where the ski school gathers every morning.
The vote at the September 17 meeting was unanimous, but council members said they had reservations. The Telluride Times reported that they raised concerns about losing indoor restaurant seating, accessibility, food-service capacity, affordability and the lack of a long-term plan. Councilmember Harvey Mogenson put the long-term view plainly. "A long-term solution is a permanent structure," he said.
Mayor Scott Pearson argued for the change from the ski school side:
"Ski school kids are part of the 'visitors' experience,' right? This would enhance their experience."
He said this to The Telluride Times.
The permit approved in the Town's September recap has these conditions:
The snow-maintenance condition is about more than looks. Swenson acknowledged to The Times that ice near the building has been an ongoing concern. "There's some drainage issue, and there's no heated walkways or heated surfaces down there, (but) we maintain it," he said. With lunch moving outdoors to picnic tables, more people will be walking that ground in ski boots.
On a cold day, or when there's a line at the truck, these are the nearest alternatives in the research, starting with the closest to the Chair 10 return:
Gorrono's 11 a.m. opening and the truck's 9 a.m. start cover different parts of the day. The truck is the only option in this group that sits right at the Chair 1 and 10 base, and the only one serving through the morning there.
Telluride Ski & Golf is targeting November 26, 2026 for opening day and April 4, 2027 for closing, both subject to change. The food truck permit ends on that same April 4. The packet allows until April 18, 2027 to clear the site and return it to its existing condition.
When the permit expires, council expects a long-term plan for public food service at this base, and the company has said it doesn't have one yet. A season of real use will inform whatever comes next: how busy the truck gets, how full the basement seating is, and how the ice and snow are handled. Council meetings are live-streamed and open to public comment over Zoom, and the Town says meeting materials usually go up the Friday before each meeting.
Decisions about the base areas shape how Mountain Village works every day, and Chris Sommers follows them closely for the owners and families he works with. If you'd like to talk through what changes at the base mean for a home or condo near the Meadows and Chairs 1 and 10, schedule a private consultation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Specializing in upscale residences, condominiums, and ranches, Chris is a seasoned broker known for his professional approach. His success is driven by continuous client communication, continuous market trend analysis, and strategic identification of target markets.
Mid-cast Action Shot
Trophy Catch
Golden-hour canyon, no face needed.
Wide scenic, red-rock backdrop
Dynamic hookset moment.