Annual Downtown Boulder Pancake Breakfast to honor Tom Eldridge

Every summer, members of the Downtown Boulder community gather on the Pearl Street Mall to discuss happenings in downtown and enjoy a hearty pancake breakfast. This year on Thursday July 12th, the breakfast will have a more poignant feeling as Tom Eldridge, who passed away last May, is remembered and honored as an integral part of Downtown Boulder.

Tom Eldridge founded Tom’s Tavern at the corner of 11^th and Pearl in 1960. It soon became a downtown institution with the Tavern’s trademark burger. Always present as a part of the Boulder community, Tom joined the Boulder City Council in 1997 serving as deputy mayor for 3 years. He was inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame in May of 2007 and the alley behind the tavern was renamed to “Tom’s Way” in late 2006.Having named just a few of his accomplishments, it was easy to see why the downtown community wanted to honor such a strong force in making downtown what it is today.

The Pancake breakfast will kick off at 7:30am on Thursday, with over 150 folks expected to enjoy the great food and to pay respects to Tom. Friend and fellow city councilman Jack Stoakes will take a few moments to reflect on Tom as a person, friend, businessman, and leader of the community. Throughout the breakfast there will be photos and memorabilia of Tom including the signature slogan bumper stickers of Tom’s Tavern, “Health Food Sucks… Eat at Tom’s”. Also, the breakfast will conclude with Downtown Boulder, Inc presenting the proceeds from the Kidlinks Golf Tournament to Boulder Community Hospital Kidlinks program.

The Pancake Breakfast is Thursday, July 12^th, 7:30am-9:00am on the 1300 block of Pearl Street in front of the Courthouse. The breakfast is sponsored by Tom’s Tavern, Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill, Art Source International, and Downtown Boulder.