Tejon Eatery closes its doors after a year of struggles

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (KRDO) - The Tejon Eatery and Bar in Downtown Colorado Springs is now closed just one year after opening.

The reasoning behind the abrupt closure has a lot to do with ongoing struggles to bring in customers and revenue.

Some customers were surprised to learn about the closure, while others, not so much.

Operations manager Geoff Weichelt says the reason for the closure of the $2 million dollar investment is simple, it all came down to dollars and cents.

"The big investment into the building was never profitable, having nine kitchens and trying to keep those staffed during all hours of operations was just really expensive and the sales weren't there to support that labor model," Weichelt said.

Neil Favor, a regular customer who works in downtown Colorado Springs says he was excited about the spot when it first opened, but noticed its decline over the year.

"About six weeks ago, it seemed like the writing was on the wall that they wouldn't be opened much longer," said Favor.

Now. 27 employees have been laid off; including Dylan Montanio, who was the Executive Chef at the food hall.

"I went in yesterday to make my order and that is when I found out. I have been in that situation before. I just hit 20 years in the industry. Everything was disconnected when I got there, so you know, I understand what is happening," added Montanio.

Owners said they have high hopes for opening a restaurant in the near future with similar menu items as the food hall.