Old world charm wins new business of the year

Planning, designing and running a restaurant is hard work and even harder if your business partner is your spouse.

Tommy and Cassie Orduno, owners and operators of Bella’s Bistro, not only pulled it off, they won the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce “New Business of the Year” award in the process.

The two worked together before marriage at Sullivan’s Steak House in Denver. Cassie was a graphic designer and working as a lighting consultant for architects designing commercial buildings, and after they were married, Orduno got a degree in solar technology.

The two were thinking of leaving the restaurant business altogether, but reconsidered.

“We are both good at it,” Cassie said. “Tommy was a professional chef for 25 years and I had always worked in restaurants as a second job.”

Cassie wanted to return home (she grew up in Encampment) and after several trips to Saratoga and Encampment, the two decided to buy the building that used to house Stumpy’s.

The building is over a century old and the Orduno’s had to put a lot of work into it before opening for business. Cassie’s experience in design architecture came in handy when it came to lighting the old world elegance.

Cassie’s career in graphic design also tied into the purchase of the building. She did some work for a client who couldn’t pay her. Instead, he gave her two bottles of Sea Smoke wine, featured in the movie Sideways.

One was a Chardonnay and the other was a 2005 Pinot Noir.

“We drank the Chardonnay right away and saved the Pinot for a special occasion,” Cassie said. “Birthdays and anniversaries came and went, but when we closed on the building, we popped it right here.”

“We planned the decor and remodeled the whole place ourselves except for the plumbing and electric,” Cassie said.

A full year of planning went into Bella’s concept before the Orduno’s bought the building.

“We ended up with traditional Italian, but focusing on steak, a fitting aspect for the local area,” Cassie said.

The Orduno’s met their goal of creating a unique dining experience with consistent food locals and tourists both like.

The first year was hard for the Orduno’s to gauge business, to plan staffing and order food. After a couple of winters, it is easier to know what to expect.

With the constant stream of tourists and the return of snowbirds, summers are busy, but the winter season is picking up.

“Winter’s aren’t too bad for us,” Cassie said. “Locals have been a great source of support.”

Orduno does the majority of the menu planning and cooking and Cassie does all the paperwork, tends bar and manages the front staff. Cassie credits a great staff for much of Bella’s success.

“They are dedicated, hardworking and reliable,” Cassie said. “We were worried because people told us it was hard to hold onto good staff, but a lot of them have been here since we opened.”

Bella’s is open every day except Tuesday and often the Orduno’s are at the restaurant on their day off doing repairs or cleaning. Though the two are surrounded by their creation of fine food and old-world ambiance, they don’t eat much off the menu.

“When you work around food, you lose your appetite,” Cassie said. “Often, we go home and eat ice cream, but sometimes on our day off, we’ll come in and have a steak.”

The Orduno’s create special menus for different occasions and holidays. Bella’s offered more seafood options during the fishing derby and is creating a menu for Valentine’s Day.

The restaurant can hold 50 diners, but Bella’s offers patio dining in the summer and a cigar menu to complement its fine, but affordable, food and wines.