Rupert’s restaurant, based in Edgewater, has opened its first expansion location in Durango at the former CJ’s Diner address at 810 E. College Drive.
Rupert’s Durango opened on Aug. 23 and owners Tim Nevadomski and Susan Olsen said business has been steady. Rupert’s offers breakfast and lunch service from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Nevadomski said he and his wife have been looking to expand, and when the kids left for college, they felt the time was right. Nevadomski went to school at Fort Lewis College during the 1980s, which piqued his interest in a Durango location.
For the owners, the location was a perfect fit considering its location near FLC, adequate parking and proximity to neighborhoods leading to increased foot traffic.
Former CJ’s owner Jerry Martinez helped the new owners by recruiting his former employees to work for Rupert’s, which helped them get a head start on the hiring process.
Not only did some of CJ’s employees make the transfer but so did the former diner’s customer base.
Olsen, who works in the front of house dining operations, said its been a mixed bag of former CJ’s clientele and new customers.
“Some people were CJ’s regulars and others, surprisingly, a lot, ate at our place in Denver,” Olsen said.
Nevadomski said anytime a restaurant changes ownership and menus there are going to be some unhappy customers. He said some loyal customers to CJ’s were disappointed in certain breakfast menu changes. But he has tried to accommodate requests from previous CJ’s customers, he said.
“Some people don't like change. There's been a few grumblings about they can't get this item anymore or this dish anymore, because it's not the same restaurant,” Nevadomski said.
Rupert’s owners don’t like to classify the restaurant as a diner. Doing so limits their menu options, because then customers expect diner food.
Nevadomski said Rupert’s has a different approach to hash browns. Generally, when people think of diner hash browns, they think of shredded potatoes. He said their hash browns are a combination of mashed and shredded potatoes. Instead of offering a standard eggs Benedict, Rupert’s offers four different varieties of the dish.
Nevadomski referenced the “Southwest Benedict” which consists of a housemade green chili corn fritter topped with slow roasted pulled pork and poached eggs with green chili hollandaise and pico de gallo.
The owners also offer a vegan-friendly option. Olsen, who followed a vegan diet for a year, creates all the vegan recipes.
“I spend a lot of time on them and we get a lot of really positive feedback,” Olsen said.
Olsen became well acquainted with vegan recipes through a seven-day vegan fusion cooking course along with her time spent eating a vegan diet.
Some of the vegan dishes include Heirloom Potato Mash and Vegan-Friendly French Toast.
Currently, the owners do not plan to expand outside of Durango. They are happy with the success of their two locations. Olsen said the process of opening a new restaurant has become more difficult with age.
“Some days I'm all for it, some days I’m not” Nevadomski said.
Nevadomski has worked in the restaurant business since he was a teenager. Olson and Nevadomski moved to Denver after deciding they wanted a change of scenery. They stumbled across the Edgewater location by accident while searching for a tutor for Olsen’s son.
“For whatever reason, algorithms or what not, this restaurant popped up for sale,” Nevadomski said.
The couple ate at the restaurant and felt they could give it new life, leading to the start of Rupert’s on the Edge, the original restaurant.
The restaurant is named after Olsen’s great uncle. The owners are in the process of applying for a liquor license to offer mimosas among other cocktails with its breakfast and lunch service.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
