It’s been four years since penning the last #thenewwest column in Spoke+Blossom.

“Momentum” is a perfectly fitting theme to comment on. Since last writing, we had weathered the storm and reinvented ourselves countless times over. Our team have created, failed, tried again, shifted, reinvented and reimagined virtually every component of not just Bin 707 Foodbar and Tacoparty, but also the short-lived Binburger, the shorter-lived Blockparty, the rise and fall of online and virtual ordering, and the boom and bust of postpandemic dining. Throughout all of it, I have been laser-focused on one mission: Improving the quality of life and longevity of our staff through incentives, benefits and trailblazing against industry standard stereotypes that plague our workforce. Due to the economic shifts of the last several years, what was previously our mission of creating well-paying, long-term hospitality jobs in Colorado’s Grand Valley has shifted to maintaining those jobs and retaining that workforce. While I have seen that become a common theme not only here in the Grand Valley, but in our industry nationwide, I can say with certainty there is no one method nor right way to do so. For us, it’s been a time of experimentation which is just not a word commonly associated with hospitality.

Another observation of mine over the last few years, and carrying this momentum onward and into the future, is who and what our diner is and has become. Bin 707 Foodbar, for example, was once equal parts cocktail bar, burger shop and gastronomy mecca in a somewhat barren food desert despite our access to local agriculture.

Our diner then was everyone. Dining was the destination. Now, I’m ecstatic to say that dining is merely a perk within the destination. Outdoor recreation is paramount. Health and wellness are at an all-time high, and the Grand Valley is now home to some of the newest, best and most inventive restaurants and cocktail bars in our region, or even statewide! Bin 707 Foodbar has distilled itself into a dining destination, just as Tacoparty has secured its niche as the goto family-friendly hotspot in town to enjoy a lazy afternoon, quick pull off the interstate or post-ride meal. Other notable spots such as the Melrose Spirit Co, Manhattan Project, Trail Life Brewing and Pêche were barely a dream when I last wrote about our collective opportunities to grow regional cuisine in the 2019 pages of S+B. I would say that our collective momentum today is stronger than at any time before, and I am here for it.

That said, I’ve never been one to rest easy and I don’t plan on doing so anytime soon. Roughly by the time this piece goes to print we will be opening the doors of not one but two new restaurants in downtown Grand Junction. The new home of Bin 707, along with the completely new Jojo’s Dinette. My business partner and better half Jodi and I have been quietly working on reimagining an entirely new Bin 707 in the former Il Bistro Italiano space on 4th and Main St. We are honored to continue the legacy of that building built and occupied by Brunella and her husband Ron for the last 20 years. We have been remodeling, polishing, planning and imagining what the next 15 years can look like with this project and couldn’t be more excited to open our doors this spring. This will be the third location of Bin 707 in the last 15 years since we first opened our doors at 707 Horizon Dr.

We will be simultaneously reopening our existing restaurant as the newly imagined Jojo’s Dinette. Jojo’s will be a sort of French bistro in concept but without the French emphasis on the menu. Think small plates, à la carte dishes and a single all-day menu available throughout lunch and dinner — funky, young and inexpensive wines, inspired cocktails, a heavy emphasis on agave spirits and a level of affordable approachability that is seemly disappearing in the restaurant landscape. I’m excited for Jojo’s; it’s the high desert-inspired cafe that acts like a Parisian hotspot.

Along with Tacoparty, the new Bin 707 and Jojo’s Dinette will hopefully offer something for everyone — from a midday bite with the kiddos to destination weekend dining and everything in between. We hope that the excitement of these offerings only continues to build momentum for downtown Grand Junction and the larger Grand Valley as a whole. I wholeheartedly believe that we have such a special place and time here in the Grand Valley which provides for us the room to create spaces which can help define our communities. I am honored to be a part of the now, hope to continue to be a part of the future and am honored to be doing so along so many others working tirelessly towards our same collective goal. Cheers to momentum. Keep pushing!

Originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

The New West Momentum