The Patio Restaurant in Ignacio closed in April for what owner Emily Meisner thought would be a short cleaning, but it turned into new ownership for the long-standing establishment.
The restaurant on Goddard Avenue closed to replace a hood fan, a piece of equipment on the roof needed to keep the building clear of smoke, Meisner said. Putting in a new hood fan required bringing in a crane, so Meisner closed the business temporarily.
She expected to be closed for two weeks for the repair and cleaning, but three days into the closure, someone came in and offered to buy the property, she said. Meisner would only say the building was bought by a local family.
She said the sale will allow her to pursue new goals, likely outside the restaurant industry, she said.
“Something great is going to come down the pipe,” she said.
Meisner bought the business 20 years ago after running restaurants for other people. It exceeded her expectations by meeting her five-year goals in the first year, she said.
Over the years, she built strong relationships with residents and made the restaurant into a gathering place, she said.
She will especially miss holding pie nights, annual events when The Patio would give away pies to customers to celebrate important dates for the business, such as its opening day, she said.
“I loved working those days,” she said.
Meisner worked in all the areas of the restaurant, including baking pies and cooking, she said.
But now she is expecting to be a foodie at home, she said.
“My plan is to stay in the area and work somewhere that I can make a difference,” she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
