The Cluck Stop, a Southern-style food truck that was first rolled out at 11th Street Station close to three years ago, is opening a second location at the Durango Hot Springs this summer.
The truck, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., began serving Hot Springs customers last week with a new, curated menu.
The menu will include lettuce wraps, salads, veggie and fruit plates, soft drinks and ice cream, in addition to the Cluck Stop’s classic chicken tenders and sandwiches, according to a news release.
“We've been running now for almost a week, and it’s going great,” Keim told The Durango Herald in an interview Thursday. “We’re just smoothing everything out. It’s been really awesome so far.”
Four to six new employees are being brought on to staff the new location, bringing the eatery’s total staff number across both trucks to about 15, the release said.
The new truck is designed to handle higher traffic projected at the hot springs, Keim said. It was custom-built, and is about 4 feet longer than the 11th Street truck. It also features more fryers and grill space, Keim said.
It took about three months to get the second location up and running, he said.
The pricing at the new location will be similar to the 11th street truck, Keim said. Customers can expect to get a full meal for about $13.
“It's very good quality food – fresh, never frozen – and it’s a nice way to get a meal while you’re here without absolutely breaking the bank,” he said.
Keim expects the income from the new location to balance out any costs associated with launching the new truck. He said the second operation will help smooth out operations across both locations.
Keim plans to keep operations confined to the existing two locations for now – but further expansion may be in The Cluck Stop’s future.
“For the time being, I'm going to cap it right here. … But I would absolutely be open to expanding,” he said. “For right now, we’re just going to focus on (this) location, optimize as we can, along with smoothing out all the rough edges on operations for the other truck.”
Mason Quick, operations manager at Durango Hot Springs, expressed his support for the new location.
“Partnering with Griffin gave us an opportunity to bring a proven local concept to the resort,” Quick said in the release. “The Cluck Stop has a loyal following in Durango, and the new menu complements a day at the springs.”
Keim said the expansion marks an exciting new era for the business.
“I’m just really excited to be able to provide more menu options, kind of expand what we’ve created at 11th Street, and be able to add to the experience of the hot springs for everyone.”
epond@durangoherald.com
