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Steamboat restaurant hopes to keep same ‘iconic’ feel as latest owners unveil new name

A temporary sign hangs above the Mountainside Grill and Bar on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. The restaurant, which is taking the former home of Rex's American Grill and Bar, is being rebranded after Mission Hill Hospitality purchased the Holiday Inn, and the restaurant, at the end of last year.
John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today

A temporary sign hangs above the entrance of the Mountainside Grill and Bar, as Mission Hill Hospitality took over operations of the Holiday Inn Hotel and its attached restaurant.

“The restaurant is kind of iconic, right?” Marcus Marshall, vice president of restaurants and bars, said of Rex’s American Grill and Bar, which previously occupied the space. “We want to maintain a lot of things just the way it is. … We have to change the name because Rex (Brice) is no longer the proprietor, but I don’t think guests will see much difference in the menu, or the dining room or the ambiance.”

He said the success of the restaurant — and the reason it is so popular with many locals — is its familiarity.



“It’s just a familiar place where everybody kind of knows each other,” Marshall said. “We don’t want to change that.”

Mission Hill Hospitality officially took over Jan. 3, and Marshall said the transition has been smooth and he is thrilled they were able to keep a lot of leadership team in place. The restaurant never closed and is open for business under the new name.



“I have to compliment Rex’s team because they knew that there was a lot of associates that were staying, they knew that their restaurant served the neighborhood and, for the sake of the guests and the associates, they wanted a real smooth transition,” Marshall said. “They allowed us to come in, even prior to the sell, and really gave us time to get to know the operation.”

He added that those who are familiar with Rex’s American Grill and Bar will see a lot of familiar faces at Mountainside, which will offer hotel guests a great restaurant, but also serve the local population that has supported the business for nearly two decades.

“I think the guests come back to the hotel for the restaurant. They know that it’s a quality operation. They can get a great meal. They can get breakfast before they head to the mountain and have the convenience of coming back to the room knowing there is a nice restaurant next door,” Marshall said.


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However, he also understands that a lot of the success that Rex’s enjoyed came from a strong following among local service industry workers who wanted a place where they could see their co-workers and friends — a familiar place where they feel comfortable and know what to expect. Marshall said they should continue to expect that at Mountainside.

The new restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with reservations available at OpenTable.com and online ordering at ChowNow.com. Marshall said there will be a loyalty program available to customers, and the restaurant is currently in the process of setting up its website at SteamboatMountainside.com.

The group managing the hotel currently operates 56 hotels and one convention center in 16 states. The company operates independent and boutique hotels and resorts, as well as full-service, select-service and extended-stay hotels under the Marriott, Hilton, Hard Rock, Hyatt and IHG brands.

Mission Hill Hospitality purchased the Steamboat Springs Holiday Inn from longtime owner Scott Marr. The deal included Rex’s American Grill and Bar, which he operated with Brice as a partner.

Both Marshall and Peter W. Hoffman, senior vice president of operations, are in Steamboat this week as the ownership changes hands.

They said the transition for the restaurant and the hotel have been smooth, thanks in part to maintaining the leadership teams. They are looking forward to providing the community with a great place to eat and those visiting the Yampa Valley with a great place to stay.

“There’s not going to be any changes during the season, and I think the new owners want to wait until the end of the season before they consider anything,” Marshall said. “They know that the success of the restaurant is based on kind of the way it is. We’re going to make it our own — we obviously changed the name — but we’re going maintain a lot of things the way they are now.”


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