Meet the Team

Collin McDowell, General Manager at RARE since September 2020, Collin thrives in the restaurant industry and has been at it since age 13 after he and his sister fibbed about his age on an application to get him a dishwashing job at The Radisson Plaza Hotel and Convention Center where his sister was a banquet server and bartender. Since then, Collin has operated and overseen over 30 restaurants and nightclubs in 15 states & 3 countries and is proud to lead the RARE team during these difficult times saying: “We are at an inflection point in this industry (and on this planet!) and there is no place I’d rather be than leading a brilliant team in a magical restaurant.”

Collin and his wife are “forever residents” of Ft. Collins and have 6 children, 8 chickens, 2 dogs, 2 cats and, probably, a partridge in a pear tree. When time permits, Collin enjoys coaching baseball, rebuilding Jeep Wranglers, woodworking and (badly) playing guitar.

Mickayla graduated from CSU in 2017 with a degree in Hospitality Management and Business Administration.
Go Rams!
After graduating, Mickayla found herself as a restaurant manager in her hometown of Littleton, Colorado, where she grew even more passionate about wine, food, and quality guest experiences. Missing the easy-going lifestyle, Mickayla and Brandon, her husband, moved back to Fort Collins in June of 2020. Shortly after, Mickayla found her home at RARE Italian as Assistant General Manager. 

Mickayla enjoys learning about wine and has her Level 1 certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two fur babies, Nali and Lola. Outside of the restaurant, Mickayla is passionate about crafting, photography, traveling, attending concerts, and watching comedy.