EXPERIENCE 189 | Ham & Eggs were $1.40 when we started! - Journey from a Greasy Spoon Diner to a Fort Collins Breakfast (& Lunch) Institution - A Conversation with John Arnolfo, Former Owner/Operator of Silver Grill Cafe

The LoCo Experience

John Arnolfo operated the Silver Grill Cafe for 42 years, and found his exit plan through my guest on Episode 143, Alan Jantzen. John and partner Mike Gress purchased Silver Grill on Valentines Day of 1979 as an unheated one-room diner. The business had been established by Leonidas “Flossie” Widger in 1933, and mostly served the blue collar workforce of early downtown Fort Collins. Though the partners grew the business quickly, it remained too small an enterprise to support a pair of households, and Mike departed for other opportunities after only a few seasons.

In the years to follow, John slowly grew the footprint of the restaurant - leasing and eventually acquiring vacant buildings to the west of the original location - and grew Silver Grill the 5-adjacent-units high-volume enterprise (& Fort Collins Icon) it is today. John shares the story of how cinnamon rolls changed his business and client mix, and how the stars lined up for Alan and Jackie Jantzen to become the new operators in 2021. As also shared by Alan, an introduction from their mutual banker turned into a conversation and then a transaction and now an enduring friendship.

John needs no introduction in the world of Fort Collins restaurants, and I’m proud to share both the business journey and the sparkling personality behind the brand. We talk about the evolution of the restaurant industry, challenges and opportunities during covid, saltwater fly fishing, the gradual disappearance of the raisin cinnamon roll, and much more - so I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy my conversation with John Arnolfo.

The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by: Logistics Co-op | https://logisticscoop.com/

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain