A New Place To Gather: Jojo's Dinette

Photos by Adam Evarts

Sometimes, timing is everything. Such is the case with Jojo’s Dinette, which opened recently in downtown Grand Junction.

The original concept, JoJo’s Superette, was to be located in the FARM (Fruita Arts Recreation Marketplace). Josh Niernberg, chef and owner of Bin 707 and Taco Party and his partner and wife, Jodi, hoped to add a playful culinary bar/provisions/stopover amenity. As FARM was designed as a co-working creative artistic space and not set up for food service needs, it was unviable in the end. On to plan B.

“For well over a year we then put all of our efforts into expanding Tacoparty’s size and adding a pizza oven,” says Niernberg. “At the 11th hour of taking that to fruition, Brunella announced the closing of Il Bistro on Main Street. We met with her, came up with a deal, and put a complete hold on the Tacoparty project. This wasn’t our plan, so now what?”

For the past 15 years, Bin 707 on North 5th Street was the heart of a family effort and vision. The idea of letting that space go was hard to swallow. With the Jojo’s concept and menu already in hand, Niernberg and his team put their energy into motion, transitioning this space into Jojo’s Dinette while simultaneously moving Bin 707 to 4th and Main Street.

“Bin 707 was created with destination dining in mind, where JoJo’s will have a greater mission — a sense of place, a focus on community, a place for people to gather,” says Niernberg.

Niernberg never anticipated the fluctuations he has experienced across the years as far as the foods they served, what business looked like and who their vendors were. The evolution has created new opportunities he wanted to explore but didn’t fit with Bin 707.

“Jojo’s completely fixes the conundrum that I’ve faced for years,” he shares.

Expanding on the Bin 707 lunch menu, Jojo’s Dinette will offer one menu throughout the day in a casual French Bistro-like setting. Niernberg is determined for Jojo’s to be fun and accessible for all, offering new ways to experience dishes and inexpensive price point beer, wine, spirits and cocktails.

Plan on spending time on the shady, newly remodeled patio, perfect for warm afternoons and evenings. The logo and signage many change, but one thing will remain constant; the high-level customer service training protocol.

“Within my culinary career, I’ve walked the line or gone a bit over the line on what I could and should get away with, verses being more conservative,” says Niernberg. “I would rather keep it interesting and evolve, push the buttons to see what works and what doesn’t, than to play it safe. Keeping culinary experiences accessible and a sense of place is what I consider successful.

LOOK OUT FOR THESE MENU HIGHLIGHTS

Steamed Mussels

Sunchoke Hushpuppies

Beets & Berries Salad

Tempura Fried Ruby Trout

BLT Jojo Burger

Pork Katsu

White Corn Porridge

Fried Ice Cream

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