Students whose college careers began before the pandemic will remember UCCS’ own gastropub, while freshmen and sophomores may not have even seen the inside.
Clyde’s Gastropub manager Jeremy Tole invites students to the restaurant’s grand opening on Monday, April 11. After nearly two years, the social hangout known for its burgers and brews will open its doors and offer new menu items.
When Clyde’s Gastropub closed in 2020, many students and staff lost one of the only alternatives to the traditional dining halls and coffee shops on campus. However, with fewer case numbers and relaxed restrictions at UCCS, Clyde’s began its comeback with soft opening during the week of April 4.
Sourcing local foods and using high-quality ingredients have become focal points at Clyde’s, including for the extremely popular, pre-pandemic Clyde’s Original Hamburger.
“On the food and beverage side of [Clyde’s], we focus on local. All of [the] beer and seltzers are all from local breweries. The food, I try to get as much local as I can, so [Clyde’s] angus beef is local, [Clyde’s] challah bun is local,” Tole said.
For those who enjoyed Clyde’s before its inevitable shutdown, the restaurant has kept most of the classic menu items in addition to new options.
“I definitely have the staples that will never change: chicken tenders, the ABC burger, and those types of staples that Clyde’s is known for. There are a couple of new options [specifically], the brisket sandwich which is smoked in-house with pickled vegetables that are pickled, also, in-house,” Tole said.
For those who have yet to see the restaurant with its doors open, Tole emphasized the social aspect of Clyde’s. The physical layout of Clyde’s and its proximity to other social hangouts like the game room make it a prime location for social engagements.
“We definitely focus more on like the social aspect of college. We want a cool place to hang-out, meet people, and have events. It’s your standard gastropub; we have the back patio, concerts and things like bingo night,” Tole said.
While Clyde’s has kept most of its menu items and physical layout the same, besides a new foosball table, its hours have been shortened from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a smoother reopening but may be expanded later.