Snowmass Village Restaurants Face Liquor License Revocation Over Unpaid Taxes

Aspen —Three restaurants in Snowmass Village are staring down the possibility of losing their liquor licenses, not because they’re serving bad food or poor service, but because they haven’t paid their taxes.

The town’s Liquor Licensing Authority summoned Heather’s, Il Poggio, and The Tavern Kitchen and Bar to a hearing Wednesday. They were accused of owing tens of thousands of dollars in delinquent sales taxes. The stakes are high: if they don’t resolve these cases by September, the town can suspend or revoke their licenses entirely.

To hear Jeff Moerke tell it, this is a minor inconvenience.

Moerke, who owns Harper + Hudson Hospitality Group along with his wife Ashley, runs both Il Poggio and The Tavern Kitchen. Together, the two restaurants owe approximately $79,000 in back taxes, penalties, and interest. Yet Moerke argued that the issue was resolved quickly by his legal team.

“It was a simple oversight,” Moerke said. “We handled it within a few days.”

He insisted the matter was of “zero seriousness” to his business. The funds, he said, had already left their account.

But Liquor Licensing Authority Judge Wills wasn’t buying the explanation. The Moerkes did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing, a move Wills viewed as dismissive.

“They have not shown good faith,” Wills said. “Not showing up today is a really bad way to start a case.”

The math here is straightforward, but the timeline is tight. The Tavern’s liquor license expires on September 12. To keep serving alcohol, the restaurant must pay at least half of its outstanding sales taxes by that date. They also need to enter into an agreement with the town to pay the remainder by September 30.

Town Clerk Megan Boucher confirmed that if The Tavern misses these marks, they won’t be allowed to serve alcohol after September 12.

While the Moerkes stayed away, Heather’s owner Rene Lujan showed up and took responsibility.

Lujan said his restaurant owes approximately $34,000 in delinquent sales taxes. He told the authority that the town has been fair and communicative, even agreeing to consider a payment plan.

“It’s my fault,” Lujan said. “When you collect taxes, you’re supposed to pay them every month.”

For Lujan, the timing is particularly painful. Business has been down significantly at Heather’s, which typically operates out of the Stonebridge Inn — a building currently under construction.

“Business has been down for me big time,” Lujan said. “Snowmass has its ups and downs.”

The situation highlights a common friction point for local businesses: the gap between collecting money from customers and remitting it to the government. Under Colorado liquor regulations, failure to comply with these tax requirements provides clear grounds for license suspension. The town filed municipal court complaints against the businesses in July after earlier attempts to collect the debts failed.

Now, Snowmass Village residents will have to decide whether they want their favorite spots serving drinks on the patio. The Tavern has until September 12 to prove it can pay its way. Il Poggio and Heather’s have until the end of the month to settle their cases before the town takes final action.

Lujan’s approach suggests that cooperation is still possible, even when cash flow is tight. But for the Moerkes, staying silent while owing nearly $80,000 may cost them more than just a check.