When the pandemic hit in 2020, Boulder County chef, restaurant owner, and farmer Eric Skokan built cabanas at his home, Black Cat Farm (9889 N 51st St, Longmont, CO 80503).
There, he hosted dinners — made possible by the distanced, open-air cabanas — that not only appealed to diners’ desire for normalcy but were semi-COVID compliant.
“We had created this great opportunity that was fun and flexible enough, that was also a good fit for the community,” Skokan told Westword. “It was a win-win, and we knew we wanted to do it permanently.”
In order to create the permanent farm-restaurant concept Skokan envisions, he first had to shutter the doors of his Black Cat eatery in Boulder. Luckily, the closure allowed his fine-dining restaurant next door, Bramble & Hare, to expand.
Now, the longtime farmer is in the process of making his Black Cat Farm alfresco operation a reality.
“We’re improving the farm as a facility to host guests, which includes building the parking lot, making pathways, and rock work,” Skokan explained.
When the project is complete, it will boast several multi-person cabanas for dining, event space, better bathrooms, handicapped access, and the serenity supplied by Skokan’s massive acreage.
A debut date is unknown as Skokan tries to get everything up to code at his authentically rustic farmstead.
