Future Cheyenne Restaurant Awarded Liquor License

A future downtown Cheyenne restaurant has been awarded the city's one available retail liquor license.

The Cheyenne City Council Monday night decided to give the license to Central Enterprises, Inc., which plans to open a "high-end" restaurant on the corner of 17th Street and Carey Avenue.

"Mr. Galeotos from Central Enterprises put forth a very strong proposal," said Councilman Jeff White. "My top two proposals were Mr. Halvorson with the steam plant and Mr. Galeotos and I think everybody on the city council wishes that we had two licenses to give out last night, but unfortunately we did not."

Central Enterprises, Inc.; Cheyenne Event Center at Pershing Plaza, LLC; Chet Halvorson Properties, LLC; Dough Dog, LLC; and Sam's West, Inc. doing business as Sam's Club were the five businesses vying for the liquor license.

White, along with council members Richard Johnson and Annette Williams, voted against giving the license to Central Enterprises.

"It really was nothing against the proposal that Mr. Galeotos put forth, it was just that I was in favor of the steam plant," said White. "I've been involved with the West Edge Project from the conceptual level and have supported that for a long, long time. I viewed the steam plant as an anchor of the West Edge development and I think if that's done right then the economic development benefits for the west side of Cheyenne will spill over into the downtown area."

Other council members supported the Galeotos project because if its immediacy and revitalization potential.

"I think what swayed some of my colleagues was that Mr. Galeotos owns his building, he is shovel ready so to speak," said White. "Make no mistake, what Mr. Galeotos is going to do with that building on 17th Street is going to be fantastic. He's going to renovate both the exterior and interior. And so I think it will be a shot in the arm for downtown."

Galeotos hopes to open the eatery in 2017 in advance of Cheyenne Frontier Days.