Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa appoints new Executive Chef
Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa recently named Joshua Bettis as its new executive chef, where he takes the lead role for all food and beverage operations, including Ranch House Restaurant, Heck’s Tavern and Hallowed Grounds coffee shop as well as catering and banquet operations. In addition to Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Bettis will also oversee operations for Winter Park, Colo. sister restaurants, Volario’s Family Ristorante and Caffé Giocondo.
Bettis brings more than 18 years’ award-winning, hotel, restaurant and resort culinary experience to the Winter Park area restaurant and catering outlets, including a proven track record for cultivating and elevating the guest dining experience as well as serving as a mentor for his back of the house team members.
Known and respected for his quality-driven style, Bettis’ plans for all culinary operations is to work with existing culinary team members to continue the Ranch’s and Volario’s commitment to sourcing the highest-quality local and sustainable ingredients. New menus will bring forth authentic and creative ranch and alpine-style flairs, with some lighter, healthier options for guests.
Background and experience
Prior to coming to Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Bettis served as executive chef for The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Ky., a AAA 4-Diamond Historic Destination Hotel, where he led a team of 40 chefs, stewards and purchasing agents and oversaw food and beverage operations for 34,000 sq. feet of banquet and meeting space, five food and beverage operations and two full-service club floors. Prior to this, he held executive sous chef positions at the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz., also a AAA
4-Diamond Resort, Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami and Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., In addition he served as opening executive chef for the French Bistro in Tucson, part of the Metro Restaurants Group and in Ireland, as Chef de Partie at Killarney Park Hotel, a Mobil 5-Star property and as executive sous chef at Ballygarry House Hotel, both in County Kerry.
Degrees and accolades
A graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Bettis also holds an associates degree in restaurant management marketing, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. His culinary accolades also include participating in The James Beard House Tasting Event in New York City, numerous television news show appearances and features in Esquire, Wedding Magazine, Dining Louisville, St. Louis Society and Cincinnati Magazine, to name a few. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing and camping and spending time with his wife, Summer.
About Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa
Located 65 miles west of Denver at 3530 County Road 83 in Tabernash, Colo., Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa is a year round, eco-friendly and award-winning 6,000-acre guest ranch resort, spa and corporate retreat, with full-service meeting and special event space for 10 to 350 people. The Ranch has been recognized and honored worldwide for its environmentally friendly remodeling and restoration programs, commitment to historic preservation, green meeting facilities, sustainable and locally focused dining and Wine Spectator award-winning wine list.
The Ranch offers secluded cabins with EPA approved low-emission fireplaces and kitchen facilities, two guest lodges, including the newly opened High Lonesome Lodge, two restaurants featuring organic/sustainably focused cuisine, 35 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking (summer) and 130+ km Nordic trail system for cross country skiing and snowshoeing (winter), a year round professional horsemanship program and stables including Summer Wrangler Camps, trail riding, skill training and feed rides as well as hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing , zip-lining, stand up paddle boarding, adventure/skill training courses, and a nature-based, 18,000 sq. ft. restorative spa featuring massage, facials, body wraps, soaks and more. Nearby sister properties also include Vasquez Creek Inn and Trailhead Inn in Winter Park, Colo. For more information, visit www.devilsthumbranch.com or call 970-726.5632.
