Dear beloved friends of the restaurant & lodge,

A hearty hello from our tiny town of Boulder, Utah, where we’re having an uncommonly warm and busy winter – and a season of extraordinary change.

As we begin this letter, we’re wondering why it’s been a hard one to write, since we’re here to share some huge news that we believe will bring you joy. Perhaps it’s because this is a complicated time to think about JOY, or even offer it up in writing. There's so much happening, so fast, and the news and social media are packed with things that are sad and frightening and cruel.

And yet, we’ve always practiced the mentality that more than one thing can be true at once. We embrace the “both/and” mindset. So here we are, acknowledging both the pain and terror of this time and the delight of sharing with you our exciting news.

For the past 14 months we have been working with our landlord of 25 years, Dave Mock, to purchase the entire Lodge property (not just our restaurant building). And as of January 22nd, it officially belongs to us and a small, mighty, and much-loved group of Hellion Investors. The proud team of owners are: Blake Spalding, Jen Castle, Nina Brownell, Morgan Reedy, and Nick Barretta. We’re all year-round Boulder residents who are ecstatic to be working arm-in-arm as we enter this new chapter.

In case you’re new here, Blake and Jen are chef-owners of Hell’s Backbone Grill, a James Beard nominated restaurant going into its 26th season. Nina Brownell started working with us on the farm a decade ago and has since moved with stupendous grace and love through many positions, including admin, captain, and General Manager. Morgan Reedy is headed into her fifth season with us and her third as our incredible GM. And rounding out our team, the capable and kind Nick Barretta joined us in the kitchen in 2023 and quickly proved an invaluable team member. Nina and Nick will be directly responsible for the management of the lodge. It really could not be in better hands.

We want to share with you how this improbable and beautiful dream came to be.  A few seasons ago we were struggling to keep our doors open, and so many of you, our very own Hell’s Angels, came to our rescue. It was a breathtaking show of support and the reason we survived the pandemic years. Thanks to your ongoing support, we were also able to make necessary and significant investments into the restaurant’s infrastructure. Many of you have already experienced firsthand some of those improvements, such as the new bar and the patio enclosure with the electric heaters.

In the past few years, however, we came to realize that the only way to move the restaurant from surviving to thriving in a more comprehensive and sustainable way would be if we could somehow call the entire operation ours. So when Dave let us know in 2023 that he planned to sell the property, we began working on how to make that far-fetched vision possible. There was so much we didn’t know.

But once again, we were (still are) astonished by the power and magic of community. Over the last year, as various trusted friends and guests visited the restaurant, we found ourselves engaging in countless (literally countless) conversations about what buying the lodge might entail. We received extraordinary counsel of every kind imaginable (financial, business, real estate, legal, spiritual) from long-time guests, friends, changemakers, thought leaders, artists, and dreamers – not to mention our inimitable lawyer, Shawn Ferrin of Parsons Behle & Latimer, without whom we’d be utterly lost. We came away from each conversation knowing more, and inching closer to hope.

Even so, it still seemed a distant dream. We came close to giving up at least 300 times, because it all seemed too hard, but once again, we were (still are) astonished by the power and magic of community. Out of nowhere, people began coming forward and offering support to help us move forward, knowing it would be difficult for us to get traditional financing. In much the same way as when we almost closed, friends insisted that we keep trying, and they began offering loans and donations to help us fill the gap. It was vulnerable and surprising and tender, and a bit awkward. But considering the other option—of letting go of our life’s work—we accepted the help. And just like that, there we were again, feeling like a couple of gobsmacked George Baileys at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

And every time it seemed too hard, someone new would walk through the doors and make an outrageously generous offer of support. This happened again and again, until we felt we had no choice but to keep trying. (Can we just say it's REALLY hard to wrap our minds and hearts around the level of support we’ve received?)

Due to the kindness of our many Hells Angels, we were able to purchase the lodge property without going through a bank or traditional lender, and we’re overjoyed about this (and grateful to Dave for his patience, as it took some time to acquire our unconventional and miraculous Hell’s Angels funding). So, while we do of course owe a lot of money, it's to humans who love us deeply and want us to succeed.

Another happy piece of news is that having purchased the property, we’re now free to utilize its spaces in ways we feel can really serve all of you (and our Boulder community) best!

For starters, we’re thrilled to introduce LITTLE BONE! Little Bone is a food truck that will be run by none other than our amazing Lacy Allen, who worked with us for eight seasons before starting her Wild Indigo food truck, which we all loved (but which closed permanently this fall). Lacy is family, and we’re overjoyed to welcome her back to HBG – and she's thrilled to return.

What this means for you, first, is that we bringing back breakfast! We’ve heard loud and clear that you’ve missed HBG breakfasts these past few years, so Lacy will be cooking up many of your favorite old-school a.m. hits: sage smashed potato pancakes, blue ribbon black pepper biscuits with local sausage gravy, dreamy creamy hot and steamy oatmeal, chile migas, and shirred eggs, alongside her wonderful signature chai and gluten-free cardamom waffles! We’ll also have a fancy espresso machine in the truck, so you can start your Boulder morning well-fed and extra caffeinated.

But wait, there’s more! What this also means (wait for it) is that we’ll have dinner options available on the two nights the restaurant is closed! You can enjoy the outdoor seating when the weather is beautiful, and on days that call for shelter, our covered and heated patio will be available. Little Bone is the precocious baby sister Helles has always wanted, and we can’t wait to introduce you to her!

As you can imagine, we’ve been hella busy. We’re now almost fully staffed for season 26, with many long-time Hellions returning and lots of wonderfully qualified new team members. We had the most applicants this year since pre-pandemic times, which was a pleasant surprise and a relief, too, since we added a number of staff positions this year for all our new projects!

We’ll reopen the dining room and patio – and the food truck, too, we hope – in just over a month, on Friday, March 14th. Reservations are now open through our website and on Tock, for dinner from 4-9 pm, Thursday-Monday, in the dining room & on the outdoor, covered patio. And again, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when the main restaurant is closed, Lacy and her team will serve a simple version of Hell’s Backbone dinner fare, food truck style.

So… effective now, when you book a room at the lodge with Nina or any of our front desk reception, you are reserving to stay with us! (Cue “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast.). We’re over the moon to start infusing our own vision of hospitality into the lodging sphere. We won't have much time before opening day to make massive changes, but rest assured that when you arrive, you’ll see a deeper integration of our values, aesthetic, and love-informed business model.

We have so many plans and projects. One long-term goal is to bring the same farming ethos we’ve practiced at Blaker’s Acres (just down the road) up to the lodge grounds, and reimagine the outdoor space with interactive food and herb gardens, grape arbors, heirloom fruit orchards, pollinator zones, and outdoor-event friendly spaces. We can’t wait to bring back gatherings, reunions, celebrations, and weddings–and host more retreats, too.

We’ll be keeping our website up to date, and you can always keep up with evolving changes by following our social media channels. (And p.s. we’re on Bluesky now … hellsbackbonegrill.bsky.social ! )

And here is something else we’re happy to share! In the midst of this disturbing news cycle, you may have missed a story out of Utah that had us reeling: an effort by our County Commissioners to rename the Burr Trail (the jaw-dropping road that passes Blake’s house and leads to the restaurant) after the current president. A tremendous uprising ensued by a coalition of locals–including many descendants of John Atlantic Burr–who successfully convinced two of the three commissioners to vote no. We know we’re in for other big fights, not the least of which is continuing to make sure the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument stays protected. You have our word that we will never, ever stop doing that important work. But we’re profoundly relieved that (for now, at least) our beloved Burr Trail retains its historic name. We’re taking the win.

As you may imagine, this has been an unusually emotional time for us. It’s a colossal change during a time of tremendous instability, but if you know us even a little, you know we’re good at change. We are still those same women who, when told 25 years ago that our dream was impossible, forged ahead. Now we’re elated to have three supportive new partners reinforcing our belief that anything is possible when you apply your whole heart to it.

On a quiet afternoon in late January, all five of us gathered by the fireplace in the common room at the lodge to raise a glass and celebrate the final signing of the papers. Just outside the doors was the picturesque bird sanctuary, now also under our stewardship. Before the meeting started, a friend dropped by and mentioned a very special guest. He said a Trumpeter swan had been spending time there. It was the first sighting of a Trumpeter Swan that anyone could remember.

Trumpeter swans symbolize so many good things, including grace, beauty, serenity, love, wilderness, freedom, wisdom, hope, conservation, cooperation, and transformation. We welcomed with open arms the qualities of this magnificent being – the same way we welcome you to our restaurant and lodge.

In these uncertain and overwhelming times, we hope you’re all taking care of yourselves. Please know that we cherish each of you, and we’re grateful that you’re part of our story and our family. We wish you grace, beauty, serenity, love, wilderness, freedom, wisdom, hope, conservation, cooperation, and transformation. We look forward to seeing you soon and celebrating in person.

With much love,

Blake & Jen, Nina, Morgan & Nick, and all the Hellions