Almost 24 years ago, Steve and Debbi Kanatzar put their money on the line by purchasing a Boeing KC-97 tanker and betting on a dream: turning the retired aircraft into a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Today, guests sit under its wings at tables designed like maps, surrounded by hanging model planes and aviation artifacts that fill nearly every inch of the walls. 

Built in 1953, the aircraft carries more than restaurant tables and decor. It also carries decades of history. According to Steve Kanatzar, it was the first airplane equipped with a commercial elevator and completed two trips to Germany during the Vietnam War.

Once purchased from Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas — now Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth — it made its way to Colorado Springs in pieces, hauled by eight semi-trailers.

Nearly a quarter-century later, The Airplane Restaurant will mark its 24th anniversary this May, dating back to its opening near Mother’s Day weekend in 2002, when combined aviation history and hospitality first took flight.

“It took 10 years from the time I came up with the idea to the time we opened,” Steve Kanatzar said. “The plane was very pricey, and we put a lot at risk.”

What began as a long-shot idea has since grown into a family-operated business. After meeting the owner’s son while working at the restaurant, Steve Kanatzar’s employee eventually became his daughter-in-law, Valerie Kanatzar. 

“My father was actually one of the crane operators who installed the plane back in 2002,” she said. “That wasn’t a coincidence. I consider it fate. Since then, I’ve learned everything about how to run a business.”

With 275 seats in the restaurant, 42 of which are inside the plane itself, the owners said summer is typically their busiest time of year.

“I think the guests are all super friendly,” Valerie Kanatzar said. “They’re mainly visitors or military people, and I think they really appreciate us not being corporate and being a small family business.” 

The restaurant’s typical guests include tourists, veterans or families with small children, she said.

“If I’m ever having a down day, I just have to sit up front, and when the kids come around the corner and see the airplane, they get all excited,” Steve Kanatzar said. “They think it’s the coolest restaurant in the world.” 

With photos signed by Amelia Earhart’s photographer lining the wall, the restaurant has also hosted notable visitors over the years, including the last astronaut to walk on the moon. 

“There was a time when people would come in from all over the country,” Steve Kanatzar said. “They would come to Colorado Springs just to eat here.” 

For customer Isabella Leon, touring the aircraft itself was part of the appeal.

“You can go in the cockpit and look around,” she said. “There’s a lot of dedication to the theme. Based on the map on my table, we’re eating in Alaska right now.” 

That attention to detail continues with each of the front-of-house staff dressed as flight attendants, along with the owners stopping by tables to ask if the guests are enjoying their flight. 

“It’s more than just a restaurant,” Steve Kanatzar said. “If anyone’s got a passion for aviation, this is the place to be.”

IF YOU GO

What: The Airplane Restaurant

When: Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: 1665 Newport Road

Price: $10-$20, (719) 570-7656, theairplanerestaurant.com