New restaurant at Regional Airport Terminal (Nellie's Grub & Pub)

Nellie's Grub & Pub logo seen on a coming soon sign standing on a table next to the restaurant - Optopolis

It appears the restaurant space at Cheyenne Regional Airport's newest air terminal is getting a new tenant called Nellie's Grub & Pub! It has been announced that the restaurant is set to open on December 10th, 2024.

Recent history of the space - Billy Jack's Pizza Pub

Billy Jack's Pizza. That's about it. Billy Jack's Pizza Pub opened one of their two Cheyenne locations inside Cheyenne Regional Airport's newest airport terminal building, located along Airport Parkway, but Billy Jack's closed both their Cheyenne storefronts by or before the start of 2024. They stated that this change was temporary in that they'd be bringing wholesale pizzas to local grocery stores and businesses.

Billy Jack's Pizza Pub at the airport, seen sometime after the location closed - Optopolis

Back in May, someone asked Billy Jack's on a post on their Cheyenne Facebook Page, "How is the national wholesale licensing coming?" to which, Billy Jack's responded, "[It's] still in progress! Distribution keeps growing! Sorry it [is taking] so long, but it is still the plan to get back [to Cheyenne]!" Currently, their website lists 28 locations across Nebraska that offer their wholesale pizza.

New restaurant announced to open on December 10th!

Nellie's Grub & Pub (not to be confused with other unrelated and somewhat similarly-named establishments in the US) was recently announced to have plans of opening on December 10th, according to an "immediate release" from Cheyenne Regional Airport, dated December 6th, 2024. The release states that, "Nellie's Grub & Pub will offer a range of crowd-pleasing favorites, including fresh sandwiches, salads, pastas, and fresh sides."

View of what used to be Billy Jack's ordering counter - Optopolis

The release notes that Nellie's is a locally-owned casual-dining restaurant that will offer craft beers in addition to their comfort food. "The restaurant was founded by John and Kathy and is named after Kathy's mother," continues the release. Restaurant hours listed on the release indicate that the new shop will be open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM. The restaurant is located at 4020 Airport Parkway West (inside the new airport terminal building) and expects to open on December 10th, 2024.

A visit to the restaurant made by Optopolis revealed that the space didn't have a drastic amount of change, but bottles of soda were stocked up, and coming soon signs stood on several tables. The coming soon signs indicate that Nellie's will have, 'oven toasted sandwiches, flatbreads, appetizers, and soups and salads.'

View of one of the coming soon signs, seen on a table next to the western-most public entry to Cheyenne Regional Airport's newest airport terminal building - Optopolis

Right now, Cheyenne's Nellie's Grub & Pub does have a Facebook page, although a Google Search doesn't seem to reveal a main website at this time. (Side note: Cheyenne's Nellie's Grub & Pub is NOT to be confused with an unrelated restaurant in Arizona, known as Big Belly Nelly's.)

Update Dec 10th: Now open! Some history and a look at the menu.

For the few who walked into the airport at about ten to twenty minutes till eleven in the morning, workers at the restaurant could be seen setting up the shop with decorations. Balloons filled the space above the bar counter, the KENO machine left over from Billy Jack's was flashing its lights, and two people (including Optopolis) walked inside the restaurant just before 11 AM to start looking over the menu.

Kathy and John Brent previously owned two restaurants located in Pine Bluffs, one called Rock Ranch Grill and the other called Cafe 307 (not to be confused with unrelated-Cafe 3zero7 of Powell, Wyoming). According to Kathy's son, Cody Tucker of 7220sports.com, both the Pine Bluffs restaurants closed in 2020 amid the pandemic. Kathy mentioned to Optopolis that they ran the Rock Ranch Grill for over 19 (almost 20) years. Currently, the space that neighbors Pine Bluff's Exxon station is occupied by Currie's Family Dining.

In May 2014, the Western Nebraska Observer reported that a restaurant at Four Winds Country Club next to Kimball, Nebraska's golf course had been bought by Mike and Kinney Reuter and brothers Mark and Justin Fornstrom with plans to turn it into a bar and grill. The Reuter and Fornstrom family didn't want to run the restaurant as much as they wanted to eat at it, so they, "[brought] in the teams behind Rock Ranch and Cafe 307," to run Windbreak Bar and Grill.

Rock Ranch Grill seen in 2013; Cafe 307 would've shared this building. - Google Maps Street View

Windbreak Bar & Grill in Kimball, NE, seen in 2019 - Google Maps Street View

The Kimball restaurant closed. The last Google review for Windbreak was left four years ago (2020, back around the time the two Pine Bluffs restaurants shuttered). As of May 2024, the Western Nebraska Observer shared that a decision on the future of Windbreak hadn't been made. Right now as of December 2024, Ranch & Recreation/#1 Properties lists the building at $395,000. For the next few years, the Brent family wouldn't run any restaurant, but now, they are getting back into the restaurant scene.

Nellie's Grub & Pub menu (which has been posted to their Facebook page) currently includes flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and some Tex Mex options like tacos and enchiladas. Sides include salads, soup, shrimp, chili, potato chips, and more. The back of the menu says, "bar menu coming soon!" According to Cody Tucker, their liquor license is expected to kick in just before Christmas.

To-Go is a relatively common option for customers of dining restaurants, so that was another question here at Optopolis; Kathy said that they will have a website soon, where people can go online and order food. The phone number for Nellie's is (307) 369-6022. As mentioned above, the restaurant is open 11 AM to 8 PM, seven days per week.

For those who frequently fly into or out of Cheyenne, do you think you'll stop here on your way to your destination? And for those that may not fly often (if at all), what do you think of having a new locally-owned dining establishment along Airport Parkway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Originally published: 12/08/2024 at 12:11 PM

Updated: 12/10/2024 at 1:57 PM to add new details, and correct a minor typo.

Location: Cheyenne, WY, USA

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have known these owners for a goodly amount of time as a couple. The namesake, Nellie, is actually considered an extension of our family for reason unimportant here. These are good people who take pride in their efforts. This should be at least as popular as Two Doors Down, recognizing the same effort and intent, bringing quality food and experiences to Cheyen;e.
Dec 9, 2024, 10:17:00 AM
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