Kitchen sets grand opening date

About 200 community members gathered at The Kitchen, Fort Collins' new downtown restaurant on Wednesday. The event raised around $90,000 for Fort Collins school gardens.

During the evening, owners announced a Tuesday grand opening date.

The restaurant, at the northeast corner of Mountain and College Avenues, was just missing a few tables as of Wednesday.

Otherwise, decor was complete, with a large repurposed wood bar, high industrial ceilings, lots of glass and light, and exposed brick walls contrasting a color scheme of gray and white.

"I love it," said Fort Collins native Doug Cross, 55, who attended the event with his wife. "They did a great job with this space."

Cross said he was excited to see "a great organization" come to town to work with local growers and challenge other local restaurants.

"Some of the more pricey places in town need a kick in the pants," he said.

Other community members showed similar enthusiasm. To enter the event, they paid $100 or $250, all of which will be donated to The Kitchen Community.

With money raised from fundraisers, the nonprofit affiliate of The Kitchen hopes to plant 20 learning gardens at Fort Collins area schools over the next two years.

Some attendees who had been to The Kitchen's Boulder location said they were worried about the restaurant's prices and the future of the Fort Collins food scene.

"I hope Fort Collins doesn't become as pricey as Boulder," said Kristi Janicki, a local business owner attending the event with a friend. "Then we would lose our small town-ness."

Though menu prices have yet to be announced, The Kitchen's co-owner Kimbal Musk said prices reflect higher costs of sourcing food locally, while still keeping the community in mind.

Cross wasn't worried about cost.

"I have no idea what the price point is, but I don't care," he said. "This corner needed this, and the town's ready for it."