Coronavirus Response

PLEASE NOTE: After much careful consideration we have made the decision to close the Tasting Room and Distillery to the public as of March 15th. You can read more about that decision here.

As concerns about Coronavirus spread, we want to assure our customers and community that we’re monitoring and responding to the situation. As a community gathering place, we feel there is an argument to be made for providing our community with a place to be should they so choose. Isolation has its own side effects. We also, however, have a responsibility to minimize exposure to the virus for our staff and customers, as well as follow guidelines being implemented by Gunnison County in order to remain open.

Please note that among the guidelines is a requirement to allow no more than 50 people in the building. A previous requirement to turn people away who were 60 or older has been lifted (the county is still discouraging individuals who are 60+ from attending public events, including restaurants, due to increased complication rates when the disease is contracted).

We may still need to turn some people away when the restaurant has reached 50 people.We greatly appreciate your support of our efforts to follow these guidelines; we never like to turn people away, but at the end of the day, these measures are intended to help keep people safe. (You can find more information from the county here and here. )

In the meantime, we will support the choice of any staff member who does not wish to work, and provide this information so customers may make their own choices about how to respond to the Coronavirus situation.

Additional response measures include:

• Increasing the number of paid sick days for staff to four to be in alignment with state recommendations.

• Seated service only. We will not serve customers in standing room only and will ask that standing congregating groups disperse, including waiting by the door for seating. This is to prevent customers and staff from feeling forced into closer proximity with others than they are comfortable being

• Distillery tours will be limited to four people, for the same reason

• Closing down the children’s play area.

• Increasing the frequency of cleaning practices throughout the tasting room, with particular emphasis on items that get touched by many hands (door handles, light switches, barstools, tables/countertops, iPads, check/receipt holders, etc.)

• Emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance in following established cleanliness and sanitary practices, including hand washing

• Suspending the self-serve popcorn station until further notice

• Suspending the self-serve condiments provided with ramen orders. Preferred toppings and condiments will be served by request in small, individual ceramic bowls.

• Reminding staff they are expected to stay home when sick, with an updated paid leave policy to encourage them to follow through on this measure.

• Managers are also empowered to send employees home when they exhibit symptoms

• We are closely monitoring best practices and guidelines from local, state, and national organizations, and communicating updates to staff whenever there are significant updates, or changes to our policy. These communications will take place at a minimum of once a week.

We humbly ask for your help in implementing these measures by monitoring your own health and behavior while at Montanya. Please wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, be aware of how your actions affect our staff and fellow customers, and stay home if you are over 60, have an underlying medical condition, or suspect you have been exposed to Coronavirus.

We have also given our Tasting Room staff permission to request (politely, of course!) that someone of any age exhibiting signs of being unwell—such as repeated coughing or sneezing—leave the Tasting Room and Distillery. While we never want to turn someone away, we do need to exercise caution during this time and want to thank you for your support and understanding. These measures are designed to look out for everyone’s wellbeing!

Questions or concerns? Please let us know.