Remodel adds outdoor seating for new restaurant/bar in historic Schmidt Building
June 27, 2018With the added feature of outdoor seating, the Wobbly Olive, a new food and drink establishment, opened in June at 2611 W. Colorado Ave. in Old Colorado City.
It's on the ground floor of the historic, two-story Schmidt Building. As a place that serves alcohol - with a particular focus on martinis - along with dinner and
The courtyard seating outside the Wobbly Olive
is seen from the West Colorado Avenue sidewalk area. The business' location is
the ground floor of Old Colorado City's historic Schmidt Building.
Westside Pioneer photo
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It's the second Wobbly Olive in Colorado Springs. Both were started and owned by area residents Sean and Inez Fitzgerald. The first, opened in 2014, is on the Colorado Springs east side (off Powers Boulevard).
Anita Ray, general manager of the OCC locale, said that Sean wanted to open a second Wobbly Olive on the Westside, “but couldn't find the right fit.” But when he saw the Schmidt Building, “he knew the minute he walked in.”
In previous years, the building mostly had retail enterprises on its ground floor (the upstairs usually being leased for office space). The last such shop was Lorig's western clothing, which left in 2017 and led to the building's purchase by Harold Fong and Martha Bartz, who also own OCC's historic Willard Building in the 2500 block.
In an interview a year ago with the Westside Pioneer, Fong suggested that the grassy patio just east of the Schmidt Building (and part of its property) had possibilities for outside seating if an eatery were to take over the ground-floor space.
This came to pass as part of the Fitzgeralds' extensive remodel, which lasted through the winter and spring. They replaced the patio grass with pavers, built a wrought-iron fence perimeter and created outdoor seating for 40 people.
Indoors, the capacity is 78, Ray said.
The business is open daily. The phone is 308-2619. The website is wobblyolive.com.
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