Meet Candace Bryans | Owner – The Cellar on Railroad & Board Member of The Women’s Wine Guild of Colorado

We had the good fortune of connecting with Candace Bryans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Candace, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am originally from Arkansas. Growing up, money was often tight. My father worked tirelessly as a jeweler to support our family and send my mother back to college where she completed her BS in Biology & Chemistry. My parents valued working hard, being honest, and getting an education that would open doors to better opportunities. They instilled these values in me. I worked very hard to earn a scholarship to college and it was life-changing for me. I believe my work ethic, love of learning, and passion for doing things with excellence have very much impacted the person I am today. Opening a new business during a pandemic definitely took grit, hard work, and determination. All things, I learned growing up!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Cellar on Railroad is a Wine & Tapas restaurant in Buena Vista, CO. Buena Vista is certainly not known for its wine scene, which makes the opportunity to create one so appealing to me. I believe our commitment to wine education and creating an inviting space for people to learn about wine sets us apart from other bars & restaurants. We focus on serving sustainable, quality products made by people whose missions we believe in. We have just finished our first year of operations and it has not been easy! Covid-19 hit in the middle of the renovations on our current space. It was nerve-wracking to open at the height of the pandemic in our town. I had to plan for opening, being shut down, in-person dining, to-go dining – there was a backup plan for every plan. We were able to overcome these challenges by remaining flexible, taking risks with our wine offerings, networking with other business owners, and focusing on investing in our employees. I want people to know that we are working hard to bring phenomenal wines, excellent wine education opportunities, and an appreciation of quality food & wine offerings to the mountains. I would like people to know that we are a women-owned and operated business! We have three full-time staff who are amazing women that work hard to provide excellent experiences for anyone who comes to The Cellar on Railroad. I want people to know that if you work hard enough and believe in your vision enough – you can do anything you set your mind to.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting the area we would go for a hike – possibly up to Ptarmigan Lake or Brown’s Creek Waterfall. We would follow it up with a soak at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs or Cottonwood Hot Springs before heading to town for a celebratory glass of vino & tapas on the porch at The Cellar on Railroad. We would eventually make our way to live music on the “beach” in South Main. We would likely spend time white-water rafting Brown’s Canyon. I would be sure we grab lunch at Sorelle Delicatessen or The Buena Viking & of course we would have a coffee at The Blend & The Roastery. We would definitely stop in The Slammer to check out the whiskey selection & to check out some tunes. I would make sure we grabbed to-go food from The Asian Palate to enjoy on a river-side picnic complete with beers from The Eddyline. We would likely catch live music at The Lariat at some juncture. We would absolutely enjoy brunch on the patio at The Surf Hotel.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my husband Grant Bryans for supporting all of my crazy ideas!  Also to Charles Chupp Jr. for investing in The Cellar on Railroad and being an excellent business partner and mentor. I feel grateful for the opportunity to passionately pursue something that makes me come alive.

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Website: www.thecellarbv.com

Instagram: The Cellar on Railroad

Facebook: @TheCellarOnRailroad