Traditionally, “Traveling Mercies” is a prayer for safe, smooth travels said for someone embarking on a journey. It’s a phrase that Caroline Glover’s mother always said when anyone in the family was traveling, and that’s one of the reasons Glover decided to call her newest venture, an oyster and cocktail bar in Stanley Marketplace, by that name.

“The phrase Traveling Mercies is a little bit ambiguous. For me, it embodies well-wishes on a journey, but for someone else it can mean something totally different, so I appreciate that about the name,” says Glover, the chef and owner of the restaurant, Annette, which is also in Stanley Marketplace. Glover has won many local accolades and national awards, including from Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award in the “Best Chef: Mountain” category.

Traveling Mercies, which opened in late December on the third floor, serves bar snacks and small plates of oysters, mussels, shrimp cocktail, a wedge salad, and a seasonal, layered rice pudding. Cocktails (such as rum drinks from various regions) are also a focus, plus wine and non-alcoholic options that are intended to pair well with the food menu. The concept is inspired by the hole-in-the-wall oyster bars that Glover and her husband Nelson Harvey have ducked into when they travel. The menu is brief, but the idea is that people can start or end their evening at Traveling Mercies or combine items to create a complete meal.

As part of the couple’s goal to make the restaurant industry a career path for their staff, checks include a 20 percent service fee with all proceeds going towards providing employees with higher wages and work benefits, such as health insurance and paid time off.

Glover and Harvey specifically developed the new business for two team members. Annette’s general manager Daniel Seibel and bar manager Matt Baczor are the core of Traveling Mercies. The project draws on the mutual loyalty between the foursome, and the new restaurant made sense to all of them.

“Daniel opened Annette with us almost seven years ago, and Matt came on before the pandemic and was one of our key players during that crazy time,” says Glover. “They were creative, they have things they want to do, and we really want to be part of it.

“It’s beautiful when you all work well together. We understand each other, our shared vision and our communication style, so it felt like a natural progression to give them this opportunity to be creative in a different way.”

Along with running Annette and creating Traveling Mercies, Glover and Harvey had a baby in 2023. Adding Franny to the mix has been more challenging than the couple expected.

“It was a long journey to get here and then I had this really picturesque vision that she would just be with me all day, in the carrier, and I would just pick up where I left off and keep working,” says Glover.

“Being a working mom is really hard and it’s not as easy as I thought it was going to be, but I think we’re getting a good system in place. And I kind of feel like, in the restaurant, every day is a new day and it feels very much like that in parenting. So, why not just throw another thing in there?”

Traveling Mercies is accessible by stairs or elevator and, despite its small square footage, has expansive western views of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado sunsets. Formerly occupied by the aviation-themed Sky Bar, Glover and her team revamped the look with blue and terracotta colors and a variety of art by her late grandfather, who was a professional artist in Houston.

Glover says her grandfather’s artwork reminds her of home and fits perfectly in the space. One piece shows the hands of well-known artists such as Andy Warhol, which Glover connects to the intention of Traveling Mercies and the operation of this oyster bar.

“I love the idea of makers and that’s what a restaurant is—it’s working with traditional farms, the oyster farm, and different vendors. Everybody’s hands are involved,” she says.

Other artworks feature seagulls, which evoke the ocean settings where they get their oysters. Between the art pieces, color schemes and food offerings, Glover says that she is especially excited by the beautiful combination they have incorporated into the restaurant.

Leading up to the opening of Traveling Mercies, Glover frequently stopped in to check on the space. When she imagined it completed, the vision she saw was people in the restaurant with food on their tables and drinks in their hands. But mostly, she saw people engaging with each other.

“It’s my very idealistic hope that people will put their phones down and really enjoy the place” says Glover. “There’s something really beautiful about people being engaged, whether it’s with their food, drinks, or other people.”