THOSE SEEKING THE ORIGINAL ASPEN EXPERIENCE (Walter Paepcke famously dubbed it “The Aspen Idea") can find its essence distilled and ingrained in locally owned and operated businesses that have woven themselves into the social and commercial fabric of this city over years, decades, and in some cases, generations. Haunts that, despite a proliferation of national and international brands infiltrating Aspen’s downtown, have persevered on a formula of supportive landlords, fairly priced goods and services, and well-earned local love. 

With that in mind, we’ve curated a guide to the longest-lived restaurants, shops, and services that embody that old Aspen feeling, and warrant a visit. These are soulful places where the “powder clause” endures—don’t be surprised to find a handwritten “Gone Skiing!” sign hanging in a darkened storefront window in the early hours of a powder day. Join them. Come back later, and do your part to invest in, and cultivate, the authentic magic of this very special place.

Decor & Housewares | Fashion & Boutiques |
Outdoors & Snowsports | Pets | Essentials | Wine & Spirits

Décor & Housewares

“My goal is to keep old Aspen alive,” says Sharae Allen, who bought the Aspen Emporium in 2022 from founder Shae Singer, who opened the store in 2011. “We’re an art collective. We stock over 80 Colorado artists. We give locals 10 percent off in the market in the back.” Calling it a “true emporium,” Allen supplies a dizzying array of gifts, housewares, paper goods, clothing, and food: jewelry, pottery, scrap-metal art, Damascus steel knives, Swarovski crystal skulls, chocolate, hot sauce, honey, tea, and coffee. Fresh farm eggs and pickled bits are in the fridge. Reconfigured in recent months, with bay leaves still scattered on the floor, the boho shop welcomes Allen’s rebranding of Oliva flavored olive oils and vinegar, along with new olive oil skin care.

Lately, the signature scent redolent at Chequers is wafting from an Onno Collection candle made by a Belgian perfumer who crafts the glass vessels by hand. Whereas the old store was all white walls and black trim in the Bauhaus style, owners Becky and Michael Dumeresque’s third location, a few doors down on Hyman Avenue since September, is ensconced in metallic bronze walls, lending a moody ambience. “The biggest change is how the aesthetics of the interior showcase products so differently,” says Becky, who opened Chequers in 1992. The curated selection of high-end furnishings, textiles, and tabletop decor from domestic and international designers includes champagne flutes and caviar bowls, Kelly Wearstler dinnerware, a black walnut lazy Susan inset with fossils and quartz, olive wood-and-resin charcuterie boards by local artist Scott Stein, and Lucite tables and trays in shades of “sable” and “chinchilla” by Dallas designer Allan Knight. “We now have customers’ children and grandchildren shopping with us,” Becky says. “It’s personal customer service: How do you live? What’s your lifestyle? You put the basics together, then you start layering.”

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Fashion & Boutiques

Opened in Snowmass Village on Thanksgiving Day 1990 by Nancy and Tom Yoder, who relocated to Aspen three years later, Kemo Sabe is the name dropped to seekers of a Western-wear shopping bonanza. (The store, where lines queue along the sidewalk, is also single-handedly responsible for Aspen’s big-hat craze, the town’s version of Mickey Mouse ears.) Anchored by a heady variety of felted, customizable hats and leather goods (boots, belts, apparel, and jewelry, all American-made), with a bar upstairs and a horse hitching post outside, the current location opened on South Galena Street in 2017. Wendy Kunkle and brother Bobby, owners since 2020, have expanded the brand across multiple states and in June 2025 launched Original Grit Tequila, a “smooth, sassy spirit made for good times and great company.”

“We started with just hair accessories, and we’re known for that,” says Misstyx owner Jill Murphy, who opened the boutique in 1997 and has evolved to sell other accessories, jewelry, handbags, and women’s clothing. Her local following stays strong. “We teach you how to do things with your hair; it’s hands-on,” she adds. “It’s important to me to carry local Colorado artists as well. We’ll dress you from head to toe.” 

When Mary Moyer opened womenswear boutique Nuages in 1986, the corner of Cooper Avenue and Hunter Street was a decidedly undesirable location—the gondola (and The Little Nell) hadn’t been built, and there was a gas station across the street. Still, she had an advantage in importing European fashion: except for Ralph Lauren, where Moyer worked before opening Nuages, big-name boutiques didn’t exist here. Now, collections that Moyer is credited with introducing—Prada, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Chrome Hearts—all have their own shops. “First when Prada said they were opening, they wanted me to continue carrying part of the line,” says Moyer, who wasn’t interested. “There’s always something else new. All my lines are exclusive to Aspen—it’s too small of a town.” Think modern, chic, elegant, and non-trendy: Alaïa, Erdem, Giambattista Valli, Paco Rabanne, and Vita Kin, hand-embroidered from Ukraine. “It can be intimidating from the outside,” she admits. “I try to make it welcoming. Shopping should be fun.” 

Just like skiing, shopping is a sport in Aspen. Pitkin County Dry Goods is the social center, where multigenerational fashion seekers flock to build their wardrobes with sartorial souvenirs. It wasn’t this way when David Fleischer arrived from the Bay Area and opened the clothing store on July 4, 1969. “The vision was to bring contemporary clothing to Aspen,” Fleischer says, “shopping the world and putting together a collection that was cohesive yet unique.” Today, Pitkin’s modern womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessories are supremely wearable, tailored to the Aspen lifestyle yet fashionable in any major city. “Customers tell us about meaningful experiences they have in the store,” says womenswear buyer Dana Laughren, who has worked there since 1991. “They’ll come straight off the plane, texting their friends, ‘Meet me at Pitkin.’”

Founded by Susan Harvey in 1991 (and since 2023, under new ownership by Marley Regan, who worked there as a teenager), Susie’s Aspen is the go-to consignment shop for gently used high-end fashion for women and men: clothing, skiwear, shoes, and accessories. Also try: Susie’s at Willits (opened in 2017 ), a larger boutique that also sells home furnishings.

Since 1990, Sashae Floral Arts & Gifts has been Aspen’s go-to boutique for fashionable bouquets, artistic floral arrangements, orchids and exotic plants, as well as chocolate truffles, gourmet food baskets and unique upscale gifts. “We have blossomed into a trusted flower specialist,” says owner Heather Shapard. “We source the most extraordinary and exclusive products available in the floral marketplace.”

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Pets

Fancy pet boutiques come and go in Aspen. Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain Pet Shop has served the owners of pampered dogs, cats, fish, and exotic small animals since 1970. “It’s very seasonal,” admits Ross Ettlin, owner since 2000. “Winter it’s all about booties and coats—a lot of them! Summer it’s frisbees and dog shampoo.” Today, Ettlin sees owners eschew 40-pound bags of dry kibble for gourmet canned and frozen food, his frequent buyer program is digitized, and dog-washing and grooming are available self-service and offered by pros on select days. “I’ve never done the big renovation and made it all pretty, because I don’t want to close for a month or two,” he says. “People need me.”

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Outdoors/Snowsports

“It all starts with the foot,” says Steve Centofanti, a pedorthist and ski racer who founded Bio-Performance Orthotics in 2004. “I specialize in orthotic fabrics and biomechanics, like a chiropractor for your foot.” The seasonal shop, which moves into the space above the Butcher’s Block every November, is stocked with specialized therapeutic footwear for skiing, snowboarding, Alpine touring, and other athletic pursuits. Centofanti began his career here in 1992, fitting ski boots at Aspen Sports with legend Jack Rafferty for a decade, and he owned Aspen’s Durant Ski Shop from 2004 to 2008. 

After founding their namesake luxury ski brand in Gunnison in 1962, David and Renie Gorsuch opened a flagship store in Vail four years later and another in Aspen in 1978. The adjacent Gorsuch Ski Café (opened in 2017 ), by virtue of its location at the base of the Gondola Plaza steps, has become a social hub ($4 cappuccino is a steal, and sheepskin-draped chairs at long tables foster connection). What still doesn’t sit well with more than a few locals: in 2021, an LLC tied to heir Jeff Gorsuch purchased land for the planned Gorsuch Haus in the Lift One Corridor Project for $10 million from Aspen Skiing Company, then flipped it less than a year later to a Miami-based real estate development firm for $76.2 million.

Founded in 1997 by speed skiers Jeff Hamilton and Bill Miller, Hamilton Sports this season unveils a 1,600-foot expansion upstairs that effectively doubles its showroom space to bring in new clothing and technical outerwear. “We’ve established ourselves as a hard-goods store—people know Hamilton is the place to go for skis,” says owner Greg Ernst, who’s been in the business for over two decades and happens to be Miller’s nephew. “Every year, we have a brand-new demo fleet of 175-200 pairs of skis. We’re giving the customer an opportunity to try every ski in every size. It’s Aspen, you gotta keep it fresh.”

Since 1978, Incline Ski & Board Shop (which changed its name from Crystal Ski Shop in 1992 ) has been known for high-end ski and snowboard rentals, currently showcasing seven brands specializing in all styles of skiing, from carving bumps to cruising powder. Located at the base of Gondola Plaza in the North of Nell building (and on the Snowmass Mall since 1982 ), Incline is also a full-service tuning shop with seasonal locker rooms and overnight storage for customers. “There is always an owner on the floor, fitting boots,” notes Dave Fond, one of six partners, who joined in 1999. “Being a small mom-and-pop shop, there’s a lot of pride in these stores. It’s all service. Yes, ma’am.”

Building on his success with Hamilton Sports, Bill Miller founded Miller Sports in November 2013, snagging a prime location on Hunter Street just a crosswalk away from Gondola Plaza. Fellow pro skier Ted Davenport, who joined as manager and became a partner two years later, “brings an energy,” Miller says. “He’s an incredible salesperson and puts his heart and soul into the shop.” Both Miller and Davenport spent a lot of time in Europe as athletes; today, the two scour overseas trade shows to bring the most exclusive ski brands here. “I’ve always admired the best shops in the world—Strolz in Lech, Austria; Gorsuch in Colorado and Utah—and I wanted to make the best shop possible.” While Miller is forever searching for the next best thing, “Having a friendly store to enter, where you’re greeted and treated nicely” is paramount. “Aspen is unique, it’s wonderful,” he says. “We have another shop in Vail, and it’s a beautiful store, but there’s nothing like the Aspen market.”

Hauling gear on a trip is a huge hassle, especially for families unfamiliar with mountain travel. Colleen Carvelli was a young mother herself when she launched Mountain Baby Gear Rentals in 2001. “I saw the need,” she says, tellingly. “I have all baby gear: cribs, high-chairs, strollers, car seats, toys, you name it. I deliver, set everything up, then come back with the van when they leave and pick it all up.” Popular among parents and grandparents who invariably call Carvelli at the eleventh hour: Double BOB strollers with burly wheels, hiking backpacks, and buckets of toys for kids aged one to four.

As Aspen has evolved, so has Performance Ski. When World Cup downhill racer Tom Bowers retired from ski racing and opened his shop in 1987, the base of Aspen Mountain had yet to be developed—Lift 1A was it. Lee Keating met Bowers that year and, over time, helped shift the aesthetic from racing gear to luxury and performance designer ski wear, specializing in European brands. (Keating helped redesign and relaunch struggling Italian brand Authier in 2010, which Performance carried exclusively at its stores in Aspen Snowmass and Vail.) Now, Performance Ski has its own line, launched in 2022, made in Italy, and modeled each season by the couple’s daughter, Dairinn Bowers.

As an Aspen native, Travis McLain remembers when snowboarding was banned on Aspen Mountain (until April 1, 2001 ). Now, nobody in Aspen is more dialed into the shred scene: In 2005, McLain founded Radio Boardshop, the only store in town dedicated to snowboarding and skateboarding. “To have a local business in Aspen, you have to love being here and love what you’re doing,” he says. “Everybody at the shop snowboards almost every day.” His team of diehard riders scouts the sickest gear on the market; this season, that’s Burton’s new step-on snowboard boots and Japanese-made Gentemstick snowboards. “We have all the best snowboarding equipment and soft goods you can get, period,” McLain adds. “For riding the mountain or getting into the backcountry, awesome materials, great fits, cool colors.” (One local chef raves that Radio’s menswear is a “hidden secret.”) Radio steers the area’s snowboard culture, supporting Aspen’s homegrown ski and snowboard film festival, the Snowmass Banked Slalom, locals’ nights and art shows, and hosting Thug Yoga on Wednesdays. After the snow melts, a seasonal shift: Radio Skateboard Camp has been guiding groms for 15 years.

Aspenites love a score, and Replay Sports provides. The lone one-stop shop for gently used (sometimes new) outdoor gear, clothing, and shoes for adults and kids opened in 2003. In winter, snag deals on all kinds of consignment finds: skis, boards, snowshoes, even retro onesies. 

When Lorenzo Semple III launched Suit Yourself Mobile Ski Wear Rental in 1996, he started with two local brands: Obermeyer (from Aspen) and Boulder Gear. “I put the outfits in a van and drove around with a cell phone, when cell phones were first coming out,” says Semple, who was transitioning from a SkiCo sales job. “I’m on the roads, I’m in the hotels. I’m meeting people, networking with the ski industry. I’m skiing. I feel a connectivity to the town through my business.” He delivers only technical ski outfits—jackets and pants—also by Head, Helly Hansen, and Scott. Forget about fancy ensembles. “You can’t put a beginner skier into a foofy outfit, because they’re trying to learn to ski,” he explains. “They want to look like they know what they’re doing, and they don’t want to stick out.”

“We’re focused on getting people outside,” says Ute Mountaineer owner Maile Spung, a rock climber and former guide on Washington’s Mount Rainier and in Alaska. “We welcome a person having their first hike up Smuggler all the way through technical users gearing up for an expedition.” Aspen’s outdoors version of Carl’s Pharmacy, the Ute stocks all manner of wearables and accessories: technical kits for resort or backcountry, sundresses for JAS concerts, bike bells, knives, and water reservoirs. Spung’s father, Bob Wade, founded the gear mecca in 1977 and ran it until his retirement in 2022. “He taught me to take care of the community; these events are a way to give back,” she explains, citing major Ute outdoors events created by her father and mother, Ruth: Ski for the Pass (February 15 ) America’s Uphill (March 14 ), and the Colorado Golden Leaf Half Marathon (September 26 ), among others. 

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Essentials

In 2024, Marty Voller inherited The Butcher’s Block from his mentor, Jack “the Butcher” Frey, who opened the gourmet market and takeaway lunch counter in 1973. (Voller was just 20 years old, fresh from Minnesota, when he arrived in Aspen in 1992.) Today, the Block stocks meats, poultry, seafood, cheese, and specialty grocery items and serves sandwiches, soups, chili, prepared salads, and desserts from the deli counter. The AMF meatloaf sandwich, roast beef dip, and popular “short snort” combo (half-soup, half-sandwich combo) remain signatures.

A cross between a general store and your hoarder relative’s attic, Carl’s Pharmacy is where Aspenites go to get whatever they need: medication, bandages, makeup, socks, snacks, board games, art supplies, costumes, and gift wrap. (Always check upstairs!) No luck? The Miner’s Building across Main Street—a multilevel hardware mecca (True Value and Do It Best), electronics emporium, and housewares boutique (the Kitchen Loft)—likely has it. “We still try to provide everything for everyone between the two stores,” says Linda Brining, who was 5 years old in 1963 when her pharmacist father, Carl Bergman, moved the family from Denver for a job at Matthew Drug. He bought and renamed it two years later, then built Miner’s on an empty lot in 1976. (Carl ran both venues until his death in 2018; Linda is now co-owner with her mother, Katie.) Only closed on Christmas Day, Carl’s includes a package store, the Wine Cellar, where a deeply discounted annual wine sale (two weeks, pre-Thanksgiving) is a community treasure. 

In 1978, a second grocery store was built in Aspen—and it almost became another chain. Tom Clark Sr., who worked for Safeway in Boulder and whose father was a broker for Stouffer’s frozen food, wanted to open an independent, family-owned grocery store after visiting Aspen on his honeymoon. Partnering with developer Jim Trueman, Clark Sr. sold his house in Westminster and opened Clark’s Market.

Today, Clark’s owns and operates eight “friendly neighborhood” grocery stores in Colorado, plus Utah and Arizona. Each location is personalized, from inventory (fresh juice bar at Aspen’s entrance) to aisle markers (in Snowmass, they’re snowboards; in Telluride, skier cutouts). There are no buyers; each store director dictates stock. “In Clark’s, it’s a reflection of what our customers want,” Tom Clark Jr. says. “If they saw something on vacation and want us to bring it in, we give it a try. If that sells, it stays.”

In all of their remodeled stores, Aspen and Snowmass (since 2014 ) included, warm wood flooring replaces cold concrete; lighting of varying intensities is a welcome change from harsh fluorescents. The delis have big pizza ovens, plus sushi bars contracted to Dau Hawn, formerly of Matsuhisa. “It is phenomenal, restaurant-quality sushi, unlike anything you would find in a big chain,” Clark Jr. declares. “You’ll see him in the Snowmass store almost every day.”

A partnership with fourth-generation Dominguez Canyon Fruit Company brings in produce grown on 10 acres in Delta specifically for Clark’s, May through October: peaches, cherries, squash, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. What’s more, in spring 2025, Clark’s donated $77,000 to 11 nonprofits via Clark’s Cares, an initiative that earmarks a portion of register receipts on Mondays in fall and spring to local causes. “These are our friends, our neighbors,” Clark Jr. says. “If somebody gets something bad, I hope it doesn’t happen, but I like that they can call me.” 

“The bookstore has always been an integral part of the town,” says Wendy Wendlandt, senior VP of the nonprofit Public Interest Network (PIN), the Colorado-based investor group that saved Explore Books from permanent closure in 2015. The big blue Victorian on Main Street has become synonymous with “independent bookseller” since Katharine Thalberg founded it in 1975. PIN has a long association with Aspen: President and Executive Director Doug Phelps grew up visiting with his stepfather in the 1960s and ’70s. “Our core mission is to encourage community,” Wendlandt notes. “We wanted to see it preserved.” The literary hub was gently refreshed this summer with a new entryway and upstairs coffee bar.

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