Conversations with Christine Street

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Street.

Hi Christine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We have both worked in the restaurant business all of our adult lives. Eric is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and I am 4th generation Colorado. After traveling and working around the world, we moved to Leadville in 2006, when we started our family. We were drawn to Leadville for its’ authenticity, people, recreation, and community. We spent the first 11 years commuting out of the county for work, but we always knew that were going to someday start our own business. When the historic building that now houses Treeline Kitchen partially collapsed in 2014 and the renovation began, we found an opportunity. We’ve now been operating for five years and we are open five nights/week for dinner. We have a beautifully renovated space that honors old and new. Original brick walls, lofted ceilings, a private dining room facing the mountains, a patio with a fire pit and a spectacular rooftop deck with views of the mountains and Leadville rooftops make the space an incredible place to work.

We’ve grown our business, adding a workspace in 2019, which opens up the restaurant during the day to utilize the space for people to work and meet in a quiet and beautiful environment. In 2020, we added a cocktail bar in another historic building directly across the street from Treeline Kitchen. The name of the cocktail bar, Before & After, is a nod to both our time and place in the history of Leadville as well as to the venue being a place to visit before and after your dining experience at Treeline. Our guests can grab pre-dinner drinks and snacks there while waiting for a table or go for an after-dinner drink. We continue to look for new and innovative ways to thrive in our quickly-evolving and growing small town, while staying true to ourselves, Leadville culture, and local values.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, having a family and running a business in a small town is not easy! We make lots of mistakes. There have been many challenges including COVID restrictions, financial roadblocks, supply chain issues, personal illnesses, constant staff management. and all the other normal growing pains. Of course, It is all worth the time and emotional investment, which pays dividends in relationships and community goodwill.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are so proud to have used the last five years to grow our business into a gathering place and mainstay anchor on our main street, and one of the largest employers in town (37 employees). We can now support other local organizations, offer benefits to our employees, and continue to offer a service to locals, second homeowners and tourists, that was not previously available.

We are a family owned and operated business. That means that we work every shift. We, and our three children can be found alongside our staff running food, bar tending, hosting, cooking, or wearing any number of other hats.

One of the things that we are most proud of is the partnerships we’ve developed with other local businesses. Local ranchers supply us with beef, lamb and pork. We also work with farmers within Colorado on produce. We source as many bar and beverage products as we can from Colorado distilleries and breweries.

Another thing that brings so much joy and fun to our experience is hiring and working with local youth. It is great to have young adults around us to show them first-hand how to work, enjoy the process, and be hospitable. We love watching them grow up and we get to be involved in their lives and see their perspectives. We have had the privilege of having a number of kids start with us at 14, work through high school, save money for college, go off to college, and then come home and work on their breaks. They truly are like family.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
We tried absolutely everything to survive the COVID and post-COVID roller coaster. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we make mistakes, we are human, and that we must forgive ourselves and keep trying day after day to improve and learn from experiences. True hospitality and personalized service is what we offer and it takes constant attention. Taking care of ourselves and our employees by keeping sustainable open hours and supporting physical and mental wellness is the new badge of honor.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.treelinekitchen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treelinekitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treelinekitchenleadville

 

Image Credits
Morgan Moutrie