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Village Inn goes upscale

Wheat Ridge eatery gets extensive face-lift

By Joyzelle Davis, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 20, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Ana Lopez walks past the front counter displaying the signature pies at the remodeled Village Inn on Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge. The struggling restaurant chain is aiming for a more hip cachet with its radical new design.

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special to the Rocky

Ana Lopez walks past the front counter displaying the signature pies at the remodeled Village Inn on Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge. The struggling restaurant chain is aiming for a more hip cachet with its radical new design.

Look out, Starbucks, the remodeled Village Inn in Wheat Ridge offers premium to-go lattes and free wireless to attract new customers.

Photo by Linda McConnell / Special to the Rocky

Look out, Starbucks, the remodeled Village Inn in Wheat Ridge offers premium to-go lattes and free wireless to attract new customers.

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Free Wi-Fi. Premium to-go lattes. A bustling lunch counter. The newly redesigned Village Inn in Wheat Ridge more closely resembles a retro-hip diner than a 50-year-old family dining chain.

The Kipling Street restaurant's makeover is the Village Inn's most radical overhaul in decades as parent company Vicorp tries to attract a new type of customer while retaining its regulars. The stakes are high: Denver-based Vicorp has heavy debt and interest payments, and sales have suffered in the face of a sputtering economy.

The Wheat Ridge restaurant, which reopened Monday after two weeks of construction, is a prototype for a redesign that Vicorp plans to test at some dozen other Village Inns over the next year. The menu is getting a makeover as well, adding upscale items like Angus beef burgers, Lavazza coffee and even a slate of cakes to its signature pie lineup.

"People ask what we've changed, and the answer is just about everything," said Jeff Guido, president of Village Inn restaurants.

Even with the quirky posters that quote the likes of Mark Twain and comic Steven Wright, there are still familiar touches. Most of the skillet and pancake breakfast favorites are still on the menu, and the iconic turquoise roof - which customers turned out to be surprisingly fond of - is staying.

"We have to be careful to keep our core customer happy," said Vicorp CEO Ken Keymer. "We're still the Village Inn, but we want to let people know there's something new going on."

Vicorp chose the Kipling location to test the sunnier, more contemporary look precisely because it's a restaurant that tends to draw a lot of regular customers. The Village Inn on South Colorado Boulevard near I-25 is on tap for the next redesign starting in March, Guido said.

Founded in 1958, Vicorp operates 403 Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurants in 25 states. Vicorp already has started overhauling some of its Bakers Square restaurants, located in California and the upper Midwest, before turning its attention to the Village Inn. Bakers Square in Minnesota is experimenting with a "restaurant within a restaurant" concept that offers both a traditional dining room and fast-casual service.

Vicorp is privately held but has public debt. The company's most recent financial came out in August, when it reported a decline of same-store sales of 3.2 percent for the quarter ended July 12. The company posted EBITDA - or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization - of $5.58 million, not high enough to cover $6.65 million in interest expense.

Keymer said the company has sufficient cash flow to cover the redesigns, which are coming in below $300,000 per store. The company is also going at a deliberate pace rather than a chainwide overhaul.

The redesigns come at a time when restaurants across the board are getting squeezed by higher food prices and customers who are increasingly nervous about the economy.

The Wheat Ridge restaurant was bustling with customers when it reopened for business Monday morning, and a few had their laptops out to test the new Wi-Fi.

"It looks great. It has a really good feel to it," said Leona Blanck, an Arvada resident who usually goes to the restaurant about twice a month with her family.

William Finch, a Memphis, Tenn., resident who drives across the country installing wireless and other computer systems for corporate clients, also gave good marks to the "fun atmosphere." But he said the decor isn't why he would stop at Village Inn again.

"It's convenient, and we know it's cheap," he said.

davisj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2514

Comments

  • February 20, 2008

    4:44 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Pagen writes:

    Well I work for Village Inn and have off and on for 28 yrs and when you think of VI what do you think of?...Breakfast! I have to say this was a great company to work for until the first time it sold about 10 yrs ago and it has continued to go down slowly but surely. I don't understand why these companies that buy VI want to fix something that isn't broken. VI has been around for 50 yrs and there is a reason for that...it works. The reason for the slow down is simple, the economy sucks, the smoking ban, and we all got raises last year. If I were to call it I don't think this "new look" will work. People will just go to the other breakfast places because people love to go out for breakfast. It's cheaper than a fancy dinner and you can take the whole family. We have had quite a few of this stores old customers coming to our store because they don't like the new concept, they say the biggest reason is it's to loud. Anyway I hope that if this doesn't work that they look at the truth, Village Inn was great the way it was!

  • February 20, 2008

    7:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    italiaboy9 writes:

    The Village Inn definitely needs a makeover. While I agree with Pagen and I love Village Inn's breakfast and lunch offerings, the restaurants were tired and aged. I think the new look will be helpful as long as its not too radical and they take their time updating restaurants along the way.

    When I lived in Virginia Beach there was only one Village Inn within the entire Hampton Roads area...and almost every morning it was packed to the gills. I would ask their management all the time why they wouldnt open other locations.

    There is still only one Village Inn within that area, but now Friendlys has moved in which is similiar concept. Not sure what they were thinking, but they could have tapped into a huge market.

  • February 20, 2008

    11:48 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JLS writes:

    I was at the Kipling VI yesterday for breakfast, and I LOVED the new look and feel of the restaurant. I'm not sure I'd go there for dinner, but I would certainly go there with the family, or for a business breakfast meeting. I didn't find the new decor to be loud at all, in fact I found the new look to be classy and understated, yet retro.

  • February 20, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    I'll add this, as someone who not long ago worked in the restaurant supply side (ie the back door) Village Inn is the much preferred place for me to go over Denny's or Perkins.
    In fact I would not to a Perkins in the Denver Area for a glass of water! I would advise any one else to avoid them as well they are terrible ran and not as clean as you would expect but more than that thier managers; just don't care! -nuff said-
    But some VI's are much better than other as well - the one just off of North Wads and about 93rd is by far the best VI in the area. or has been
    I'd like to try the new look and the WIFI good idea for all the "road Warriors". I have tried a couple of items recently on the new menu - good, deffinately a step up!
    I hope they control their costs and make it - the restaurant business is a tough one.

  • February 20, 2008

    2:55 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    jdub,
    there you are again, making me laugh! trying to stir the pot.

  • February 20, 2008

    3:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    jdub,
    I think the Asian thread is up and running again. Sorry if it was my fault for leading you astray. So where are all of the people that were saying the Nazi taunt was not newsworthy? Isn't this much more interesting, talking about food? Or maybe this is someplace that we can all meet and make peace with each other. Hopefully, they won't be serving any Dahmer fare.

  • February 20, 2008

    3:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Pagen writes:

    I am glad to hear that some of you liked the "new" look, but I personally hate retro, it reminds me of the terrible styles of the 60's! Anyway I guess we will see what happens. I do agree that VI needs a facelift I just don't know if this is the answer. That particular store had a lot of regulars but most were elderly, I know they won't prefer that new look. I hope there are enough young people in the area to make the difference.

  • February 20, 2008

    3:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    Did they have illegal dishwashers in the 60's?

  • February 20, 2008

    3:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    GWM, hehe! you are jealous! I think you should meet jdub at the VI. It does sound like a happening place. Hopefully, they can keep the prices down. If not, the prices should reflect the quality of the food.

  • February 20, 2008

    3:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    Ah, so you know where jdub lives. You will have to go over there and drag him out of the closet.

  • February 20, 2008

    4:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Diff writes:

    an ellegal dishwasher?!?
    - you mean it's not a Maytag or a Whirlpool?
    Is it a Fujisi

    or a Chinese unit - FastAss Sumbitchi

  • February 20, 2008

    6:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    GWM,

    Maybe he meant a Honda Valkyrie

  • February 20, 2008

    7:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    jdub,
    Yea, what right did Honda have to name their bike "Valkyrie"? They should have used "Raiden" or "Oni".
    Thanks for believing in me....

  • February 20, 2008

    8:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    Thor has always been my hero. Would you leave Sif for me? Oh, btw, to keep on the topic here, how was dinner at VI?

  • February 20, 2008

    8:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    So then when you return from battle, I will not take you to VI. I will serve you at your own table, keeping your drinking vessel full of Mead.

  • February 20, 2008

    8:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    Then how do you explain Ullr?

  • February 20, 2008

    8:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    Nice! Maybe you can hop in your chariot and bring some to me! Of course, we would have to meet at VI.

  • February 20, 2008

    8:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    On skis? Now you lost me....

  • February 20, 2008

    8:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    OK, I got ya. No problem, I could take care of him on skis!
    I didn't know there was a VI in Cherry Creek.

  • February 20, 2008

    8:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    hmmm...I don't know of one there but maybe there is. Enough to share? That is wonderful!

  • February 20, 2008

    8:59 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    I don't mean to change you. You will awake tomorrow, read new and exciting articles, and offenses will flow from your twisted mind.

  • February 21, 2008

    1:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    I like it better here in immortal land where people are nice to me.