The Investment

Vail Resorts is committing its largest-ever food-and-beverage capital outlay to upgrade the quick-service staples that drive the majority of on-mountain dining revenue across 15 destination and regional resorts for the 2026/27 ski season. Chili, burgers, pizza, fries, hot dogs, chicken strips, and mac and cheese will all be reformulated with higher-quality ingredients and refined recipes — and the company says menu prices will not increase beyond normal inflation. As a concrete example, the new Steakhouse Burger features a butcher's-blend patty, New School American Cheese, Summit Sauce, and seasoned waffle fries on a butter-toasted brioche bun, with an option to add pecan-smoked bacon. The initiative is framed as the food pillar of Vail Resorts' broader Epic Experience commitment.

"Great food is a critical part of a memorable day on mountain," said Greg Sullivan, Vail Resorts' Executive Vice President of Retail-Rental, Hospitality and Food & Beverage. "We want our guests to know that when they choose to visit our resorts, they aren't only getting world-class skiing, they are also gaining access to high-quality food, differentiated dining experiences and incredible après scenes."

Alongside ingredient upgrades, the company is rolling out technology and operational changes designed to cut wait times and increase seating capacity across those same locations — a critical throughput challenge for high-volume resort foodservice operations that see massive midday rushes.

Signature Experiences by Resort

Beyond systemwide menu improvements, each flagship resort is debuting its own experiential concept. At Whistler Blackcomb, a new Caviar and Champagne service opens on the patio at Steeps, while Christine's on Blackcomb launches On The Rocks, an ice bar offering handcrafted cocktails in an outdoor alpine setting. The mountain is also introducing a Pacific Northwest–rooted menu at Steeps, tapping Sea-to-Sky regional producers.

At Vail Mountain, the headline addition is the Vail Ice Bar adjacent to the Legendary Back Bowls Gate, complemented by the return of the Two Martini Lunch at The 10th and a new specialty Spritz menu at the redesigned Bistro 14. Frisco-based Outer Range Brewing Co. will sponsor the season-long après series at Vail Express Lift Bar and extend that partnership to Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Crested Butte — a cross-resort local-brewery activation worth watching as a hospitality co-branding template.

Park City Mountain is expanding its Peak to Plate Dining and Skiing Experience, a guided ski-and-dine itinerary across multiple on-mountain lodges, while adding a roaming S'mores Sleigh that delivers fireside treats to surprise locations. At Breckenridge, a new Climb and Dine series pairs a self-powered ascent with a curated dinner, and a Sweets Station at TenMile Station broadens the resort's dessert footprint. Neighboring Keystone debuts a Sweet Shack at Summit House with loose candy, waffles on a stick, and hot chocolate.

Regional mountains are also activating: Stevens Pass introduces a custom 90th-anniversary beer brewed with a local partner; Mount Snow adds a Vermont Maple Syrup Flight pairing local syrups with sweet and savory bites; and Hunter Mountain is converting its Base Lodge bar into Corduroy's, an expanded indoor-outdoor après venue.

What It Means for Hospitality Operators

The scale of this program — simultaneous menu reformulations and experiential launches across 37-plus resorts globally, anchored by a named EVP with explicit F&B authority — signals how seriously large resort hospitality operators now treat food as a differentiator and revenue driver, not just an amenity. For foodservice directors at multi-unit resort properties, the playbook here is instructive: pair a systemwide ingredient-quality baseline with locally distinctive, story-driven concepts that can earn social media traction and justify repeat visits beyond skiing itself.

Epic Pass holders receive 20% off dining through Epic Mountain Rewards all season — a loyalty mechanic that ties food spend directly to the pass product and creates measurable attachment data. Pass prices rise after November 15, with young-adult skiers ages 13–30 eligible for 20% savings on Epic Pass or Epic Local Pass purchases. For a deeper look at how resort chains are redefining hospitality food-and-beverage strategy and what experiential dining trends mean for the broader industry, see our recent coverage on RHFNews.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.