Durango Diner: Taking on a New Type of Adventure

Last year, while quarantined in his basement, Greg Mauger had an epiphany.

He was bored stiff, and he realized that he would rather work himself to death than be that bored. So, after more than a decade of working off and on at the Durango Diner, he decided to buy it.

He began looking for funding and quickly realized that his adventurous lifestyle didn’t lend itself to easy loan approval from banks. He looked for other options but found it hard to locate good information.

Then, he came across the SBDC.

“They gave me a lot of great information. What I learned was that someone in my position was not eligible for loans from traditional sources without collateral or experience in ownership. I also learned that in business, there’s a lot of opportunity if you are willing to be creative and reach outside the box.”

As of September 2021, Greg is the proud new owner of the Durango Diner. He also bought the salsa and green chile side of the business, which adds a whole other level of complexity to his role.

“So far, everything has been really good. I was and am very close with the previous owner, so I understand our core customer base, which has been really beneficial. Gary, the previous owner, still offers support, provides mentorship, and has helped me make connections.”

Since opening, the biggest challenge that Greg has faced has been adjusting to the schedule. “The way that this business has always been run is that the owner has been here working that grill seven days a week. He ran the Diner in partnership with his wife, but I’m just one person. My mother is assisting with the books, and I have a lot of employees and good help. But I’m doing quite a bit of the work myself.”

By and large, Greg plans to keep things at the Diner similar to how “it’s always been done.” He does look forward to modernizing, but all changes will be thoughtful, slow, and methodical. Most changes will be on the back end, and he hopes to make things a little easier on the staff. The biggest changes will be on the green chile and salsa side, which will be an even longer and more methodical process. That will involve a lot of new things—marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and new products.

Greg is incredibly grateful to the Diner’s loyal customer base. “I want to respect and keep them around. I appreciate that they’ve continued to support me through the transition.” If you’re a budding entrepreneur, he offers this advice: “I think you’d be surprised at what you’re capable of it you really put the hours in. If I put that energy into anything, I feel like I could have done any job or business. It doesn’t take significant brainpower—just dedication

970-247-9889
957 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301
https://durangodiner.com/

Eight Four Ranch

Every cloud really does have a silver lining. At least, that’s how Brian Wattier sees it. When he lost his job in advertising and sales last year, he saw the opportunity to do what he’d always dreamed of—own a ranch in Colorado. He took his family on a trip, and when they came to Pagosa Springs, they knew they’d found their new home. They sold their house in California, packed up, and moved. Since they’d

Turquoise Raven Gallery: An Unkindness among the Artists

Paintings. Collages. Mosaics. Photography. Glasswork. Drawings. Walking Sticks. Books. Jewelry. Leatherwork. Pottery. These are all things that ignite Mary Fuller’s passion for art. For years, she’s had a vision of bringing artists from the Four Corners together into dedicated fine art gallery. In 2020, after various careers in both the education and nonprofit sector, she decided that it was time to make her dream a reality. Being a former teacher, Mary understood the value of

Gleason Bison: Raising Bison

In 2010, Sarah Gleason discovered that she wanted to raise bison. She was living in Durango and working as a marketing assistant for Zuke’s (yes, the dog treat company), and she became interested in agriculture and livestock. “I visited a bunch of bison operations,” she says, “and I was hooked.” Throughout the process, she discovered holistic management, which is a decision-making framework that works in sync with nature to raise animals in a way that

Southwest Farm Fresh Co-Op: Where Do You Go When It’s Time to Grow?

What do you do when you are ready to grow or change your business model but aren’t exactly sure how? This is the question that Laurie Hall found herself asking in 2019. As one of the founding members of Southwest Farm Fresh (SWFF), she had seen the cooperative grow and change over the years. However, five years after its founding, the business was about to make a dramatic shift by going online. In 2014, Southwest

Native Roots Garden Center

By Malia Durbano John Wickman, owner of the independent garden center, Native Roots, has a degree in Horticulture, but not one in Business. That is why he approached Joe Keck of the SW Colorado SBDC for some advice on expanding his business. The Garden Center does Landscape Design and Installation with a large retail section for do-it-yourselfers. They grow all their own trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials through their subsidiary, Pine River Plants. Wickman, “Learned

Soundscapes International

By Malia Durbano Ross Barrable an acoustic sculptor attended the Leading Edge for Entrepreneur’s Class offered by the SBDC in the winter of 2010 because, “I wanted to learn about business and branding and how to market my wind harps.” Barrable doesn’t have a store front and recognizes that most of the sales for his high ticket items come by building relationships with potential clients. Barrable creates, “Contemporary sound sculptures, or wind harps, fabricated out