After spending 20 years working in hospitality, the owner’s of Devil’s Craft, Sherry Bruneau and Joel Newbraugh, were eager to open up their own restaurant and head to the mountains.

The couple, who met in Washington D.C while managing various restaurants, moved to Littleton in 2017, still in search of a career shift.

“We didn’t really find the right fit (working) here and there,” Bruneau said. “That led us more into thinking about opening up our own place.”

While there were other options to explore in the Winter Park area, the previous Smokin’ Moes popped up as a possible prospect, in the midst of 2020.

“We signed the lease December 2020, moved here (and) started on the project,” Bruneau said. “We didn’t make huge changes. The layout was great and we loved the potential of this space.”

The stage and venue especially held a lot of hope for new opportunities.

“We are punk rockers at heart,” Bruneau said. “We had never done much with live music before (and) we had heard great things (about Smokin’ Moes). There is a lot of nostalgia for this spot and for locals who have been in the valley for a long time.”

Some local musicians that frequent Devil’s Craft are Andy Straus, Hunker Down, Piano Joe Trio, Steve Skinner, Krysty Bosse, Tara Rose and The Real Deal, The Wields and Andy Irvine with Michael Yaussi.

Lil’ Smokies from Montana, Sour Bridges from Austin and Family Recipe from Denver have also taken the stage.

“Andy Straus has been a huge help,” Bruneau said. “He has such a huge network of bluegrass musicians, so we’ve had a lot of that (genre performing).”

Generally, Devil’s Craft tries to book performances at least twice a week, though not on any particular days.

“We definitely want some diversity,” Breneau said. “Guests are excited when we have new music.”

For example, Bruneau looks forward to hosting The Moffat Tunnel Band in the future.

After cleanup and a revamp to the vintage, western aesthetic, Devil’s Craft began to embody a more modern, edgy ambiance for dining and entertainment.

Bruneau said their food menu is influenced by the 10 foot smoker that came with the kitchen.

“We were like ‘I guess we are going to learn,’” she said.

Devil’s Craft brisket smokes for 16 hours, keeping the good old smokin’ traditions of this location around.

With the couple’s family roots in Pittsburgh, there are also some new offerings, such as the “Pitt” Master salad, which includes French fries. Bruneau called it a popular Pittsburgh dish.

As the couple continues to listen to guest feedback, Devil’s Craft will be hosting a comedy night on Friday.

Gretchen Hess will preform at Devil’s Craft from 7-10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance online for $15 or $20 at the door.

As for live music, Goat Trail, an Evergreen trio, will be performing a free event on Saturday.