Silverthorne will soon have a new barbecue spot in town thanks to the husband-wife team behind Colorado Marketplace and Bakery, a grab-and-go breakfast and lunch venue in Bluebird Market. The food court will also house the couple’s newest venture.

Colorado Mountain Barbecue held its grand opening Friday, Oct. 31, and offered customers smoked meat sandwiches on made-from-scratch buns as well as a baked potato and salad bar. Festive jack-o-lantern frosted cookies were given away with purchase during the grand opening.

Heather and Ian Beckman opened Colorado Marketplace and Bakery when Bluebird Market first opened in 2022. Expanding their food service to include a barbecue counter made sense, explained Heather Beckman. The most popular menu items that frequently sell out at the bakery are brisket burritos and sandwiches. The couple’s decades of experience in food service and passion for making quality food from scratch makes it possible for them to capitalize on opportunities they see.

“We love cooking,” said Heather Beckman.

Silverthorne’s new barbecue counter owes some of its origins to a Father’s Day gift. Heather Beckman said she gave her husband a smoker roughly 15 years ago thinking it would be fun to experiment with the equipment.

“It was the best Father’s Day gift I’ve ever given him,” she said, and Ian Beckman has been smoking meat ever since.

Brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, smoked flank steak and sausage and pepper are just some of the sandwiches that will be prepared with a custom seasoning rub and topped with housemade Carolina mustard or traditional red barbecue sauces. Besides their made-from-scratch brioche buns, the Beckman’s plan to offer gluten-free options as well. A “fixins’ bar” to top the sandwiches, or a baked potato for vegetarians, will be available alongside a salad bar. 

Anyone missing the coffee counter that the barbecue sandwiches are replacing will find that the expressos and smoothies are now offered in the bakery. Heather Beckman explained that they purchased and absorbed the coffee equipment from the former owner as it paired so well with what their bakery/deli offers. Customers can purchase their morning coffee, made with Vail Roasters beans, alongside breakfast. Heather Beckman added that they will continue to develop the coffee and smoothie offerings. For instance, they plan to offer boba tea in the future thanks in large part to their teenage daughter’s enthusiasm for the drink. 

Like many transplants in the county, the Beckman’s first came to Summit on vacation when their Fort Collins dine-in restaurant would slow down in the fall. When they decided to make the move to Summit, they knew they wanted to build a grab-and-go food experience, a contrast to the 200-seat restaurant they had run in Fort Collins where they managed 50 employees. They wanted to avoid the need for line cooks and lots of servers. Staffing in vacation destinations is a challenge, said Heather Beckman, and was something with which they were familiar thanks to their time working in other vacation spots.

Having a ready-to-go menu also reduces the stress for employees to make it a more pleasant work environment, she said. It’s what their local customers have liked best as well: the ability to pop in and grab their breakfast or lunch and get on with their adventure.

“(They) love the idea that it’s pre-made,” added Heather Beckman.

This is not to say Colorado Marketplace and Bakery doesn’t offer custom orders. A large portion of the business is catering for large events. Anyone who has participated in the county’s annual Bike to Work days will have had the chance to eat some of the Beckman’s breakfast menu at the Silverthorne stop. The city regularly asks Colorado Marketplace and Bakery to cater their events, said Heather. She said she loves that “the city throws money back at local businesses.” Heather Beckman also whips up hundreds of custom wedding cakes during the summer and fall. 

While tourists, like the many they see from Texas who love the barbecue sandwiches, form a large part of their customer base, Heather said it’s local residents that sustain the business.

“We have a ton of awesome local support,” said Heather Beckman, adding that they’re grateful their family came to be part of the Summit County community.

The scope of their business is a testament to the Beckman’s strong work ethic and organization, but Heather Beckman said it is also their partnership that makes it possible. They’ve worked hard to accomplish their dream of running their own bakery/deli, she said, and have done it relying on each other. Ian is the savory guy, said Heather Beckman, and she’s the pastry specialist. While some customers say they can’t imagine working all day next to the same person they live with, Heather Beckman said she can’t imagine doing it any other way. They are a team through and through.

Heather Beckman sums up the family ethos by saying, “If you have heart and passion, people will come.” 

Colorado Marketplace and Bakery is open from 7 A.M. to 5 P.M daily and the new Colorado Mountain Barbecue counter will be open from 11 A.M. until 8 P.M. daily, both in Bluebird Market in Silverthorne.