Longtime chef is now a partner in EagleVail’s Route 6 Cafe
Rafael Chavez and Ollie Holdstock have worked together for 22 years
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily
Rafael Chavez was a young man working in the Eagle-Vail Caf茅’s kitchen when Ollie Holdstock bought the place 22 years ago. Chavez is now a partner in the business.
Chavez, who came to the U.S. at age 15 following the death of his father, doesn’t talk much. What he does is work, and take care of his family. In addition to his work at Route 6, Chavez owns a catering business, and the family owns the burrito kiosk in front of Ace Hardware in West Vail.
Chavez said he likes working at Route 6 and likes working with Holdstock. He’s happy to be partnering with Holdstock, and “keep it a family business. 鈥� I can make this place more busy,” he said.
For Holdstock, bringing Chavez, and his family, into a partnership role is a source of both happiness and some relief.
Holdstock, now 67 years old, said he’s still keen on working, but “I don’t want to work so many hours. Time is more significant.”
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Having a partner, especially a partner he knows and trusts, is a relief.
Building that trust started almost immediately.
Chavez was an assistant in the kitchen when Holdstock bought the business in 2002. Within six months, he realized Chavez’s work ethic and skills 鈥� skills owned by five years of work in the kitchen at Mirabelle at the base of Beaver Creek 鈥� were so strong that Chavez was soon made the head chef.
“Talk about a team player,” Holdstock said. “He’s been my strength sometimes.”
And Chavez could quickly adapt when needed.
A few years ago, Holdstock became ill for several months, an illness eventually diagnosed as a gluten intolerance. Almost overnight, Chavez was able to put several gluten-free options on the menu.
Having someone close come into management takes a lot of stress out of running the business, Holdstock said. He’d briefly brought a couple of people into the business, who soon were telling people around the valley they’d bought the restaurant. The business suffered, and Holdstock soon pushed out the potential new guys.
Having Chavez and his family take a stake in the business is what Holdstock calls a “soft exit strategy,” although he has no intention of retiring any time soon.
Still, he said, having a partner, “relieves me of a lot of my stress and workload.”
And Holdstock believes Route 6 is an important part of the community.
“This is a restaurant that the town needs,” he said. Having a local family dedicated to the operation is important to the business, and the valley.
Chavez agreed. He and his family have sunk deep roots in the valley. While the family has other business interests, he said he plans to be “focused more here.”
