Aviation and great food have joined forces to provide one of the most memorable dining experiences in Colorado Springs. The Airplane Restaurant, owned by Steve and Debbi Kanatzar, utilizes an airplane as its restaurant base to give diners an extensive menu of food options combined with memorabilia in a museum-like atmosphere.
Steve Kanatzar has a background in the restaurant industry and flew as a private pilot-rated in high performance and complex, which means he can fly more complex airplanes in addition to gliders. The combination of these two interests sparked the idea for the restaurant.
“When I purchased the plane, it was in Ft. Worth, Texas,” Kanatzar said. “It’s 110 feet long and had to be transported on eight semi-truck trailers. It was then re-assembled on location.”
Kanatzar said he looked extensively for the right plane, and this was the most reasonably priced of three he found. “It took 10 years from the time I came up with the idea to the time I opened the restaurant,” he said. In May 2002, the restaurant had its grand opening.
The Plane
The centerpiece of the restaurant is a fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker. It was built in 1953 and was used to refuel other aircraft throughout the world and is one of the largest piston aircraft Boeing ever built. When in use, the plane reached a maximum speed of 400 miles per hour.
The interior has been re-designed to seat 42 diners in addition to a full bar area. The cockpit, Kanatzar said, is fully intact and provides a behind-the-wheel experience for kids who have always dreamt of piloting a mission.
The plane is connected to a building that seats an additional 275 diners. The wing of the plane and one engine fill some of this space, giving all diners an aviation-based dining experience.
The Restaurant
The Airplane Restaurant serves lunch and dinner and is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. The menu features a large selection of options in addition to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Diners are welcomed to their flight by servers and staff dressed in F1 pilot uniforms. Aviation language is often used to enhance the dining experience.
A few of the lunch items to choose from include potato skins, craisin walnut salad, beef or chicken burgers, and sandwiches such as The Philly Flyer. Dinner options include salads, burgers, steak, fish, and a number of Dinner Preflight (appetizer) options. Specific meals are Air Tower Nachos, Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad, Angus New York Strip, BBQ Beef Bomber Burger, and more. The restaurant is vegetarian-friendly and offers vegan and gluten-free options.
“We are a destination restaurant,” Kanatzar explained. “A lot of people come to Colorado Springs and Google a fun place to go and they find us. We get pilots, Air Force personnel, basically anybody who loves aviation.”
There’s an impressive list of people associated with aviation who have visited the restaurant. Kanatzar said some of these include Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan Schmitt, who is the last man to walk on the moon; and Red Bull Air Force pilots, who are known as the best of the best; and pilots who were held captive at the North Vietnam prison known as Hanoi Hilton.
Aviation Memorabilia
Kanatzar said diners should plan at least an extra half-hour in order to explore all the memorabilia on display. This visual flight through aviation includes hundreds of pictures, military and non-military memorabilia, and rare artifacts.
“It’s basically an aviation museum,” Kanatzar said. “We have things the Smithsonian would want,” Kanatzar said one wall alone is dedicated to astronauts.
Kanatzar and his wife are hands-on owners of the restaurant. The rewards of owning and operating their business, he said, are many.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people,” he explained. “World War II fighter pilots and other heroes that have become friends of mine and my family. My friend asked me what it was like to walk into my dream every day. I am truly blessed.”
The Airplane Restaurant is located at 1665 N. Newport Road. Complete information and a virtual tour are available on the website: www.theairplanerestaurant.com.
