114-Year-Old Colorado Restaurant Is Closing Its Doors

There have been some sad losses in Denver’s restaurant scene lately, but the closure of a longtime staple is felt even more in a small town.

Hudson, which was recently in the news as the potential location for a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, is east of Fort Lupton in Weld County. It’s home to fewer than 2,000 people — and it seems like all of them are showing up to say goodbye to the Pepper Pod, which has been serving the community since 1913. Its last day will be Monday, January 12.

“It’s as though we announced a celebrated family member’s death and are now attempting to feed and comfort the thousands of mourners for days and days,” says Beth Martin, who has owned the historic restaurant with her husband, Dave, since 1977 — nearly fifty years. It was her husband’s health that was the main driver in the decision to close. “My husband has literally been working on feet that he should not even be standing on. It takes a lot of hours and physical labor every day. It’s time — I don’t want to lose my husband over a health issue. We are not in a financial problem at all. He just can’t keep doing it.”

The couple’s daughter, Amy, has helped her dad run the Pod for years, but “she doesn’t want to do that without her dad,” Martin says.

The Pepper Pod announced its impending closure in a January 3 Facebook post: “Please know that this decision did not come easily, but health concerns can no longer be ignored. For nearly half a century of continuous ownership, our family has had the honor of being stewards of a place that has meant so much to so many. We were never just a restaurant; we were a gathering place, a constant, and a shared table where generations came together.”

That post was quickly flooded with over 800 comments lamenting the loss, sharing memories of past meals and celebrations at the restaurant, and wishing the family well as they also mourn the end of an era.

“It’s hard on our whole family,” says Beth Martin, who has two daughters who grew up in the restaurant. “I had a crib in the office, and Amy slept in there as a baby. We have deep ties to that building, and it’s gonna be hard to close it. … A lot of people would like us to retain this, but they don’t realize what toll it takes on your body.”

As the restaurant prepares to feed as many fans as possible for its last week of service, it’s posted some guidelines. Starting Wednesday, January 7, it will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. for breakfast (not available on Sunday), 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for lunch and 4 to 7:30 p.m. for dinner. On its final day, January 12, dinner will be served from 4 to 6 p.m. Tables will be available on a first-come, first-served basis only, and guests must arrive and be checked in by the listed closing times. Also note that the menu is limited and some items may sell out.

Can the Pepper Pod be saved?

Maybe. The property has been listed for sale since last April, and is currently priced at $4,559,000, though Martin notes that it could be split up. “Well-known and high-visibility location with extra ground [for] development with same owners for decades, great place for a mixed use project,” the listing reads. “Development is all around this area with BNSF railroad putting in a 5,000 acre intermodal and Bandimere Speedway working on their new location, this area is about to explode with more growth!”

“Hudson is on the brink of becoming more than it’s been,” Martin confirms, noting its close proximity to Denver.

“We’re incredibly saddened to hear about the closure of the Pepper Pod, but wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the Pepper Pod’s historic 114-year legacy in serving Hudson and the wider region,” says Town Manager Bryce Lagne. “As a small, rural community, most people don’t know where Hudson is on a map, but they usually know about the Pepper Pod. We hope that in the near future that someone can purchase and reopen the restaurant and add another chapter to the institution that the Pepper Pod has been in the Hudson community.”

Martin echoes that sentiment. “I keep hoping that someone will come out of the woodwork like what occurred at Casa Bonita and breathe new life into it,” she says. “We had a buyer, and they didn’t turn out to be qualified, financially or professionally. … The way we do things, everything is made from scratch. There aren’t very many people out there that know how to do that sort of thing, or have any interest in doing it. Especially if they’re just trying to invest and make money.”

There has been interest in potentially turning the site into a hotel or another sort of new development, Martin adds, but “we had just hoped we could sell it as a working restaurant.”

The history of the Pepper Pod

According to its website, the Pepper Pod was built by the Peppers family in 1913 as “a modest cafe on old Main Street in Hudson. Soon, however, flourishing business necessitated a larger building, so one was built next to Highway 6, where business thrived, making it a landmark on the plains northeast of Denver.”

The current building at 530 Fir Street was constructed in 1956 and was operated by Bill Howard, the son-in-law of the restaurant’s founder. Beth and Dave Martin purchased the eatery, known as the “Oasis on the Plains,” in 1977 and promised to “never rest on our reputation, but keep building one.”

“We were the first restaurant in the country, that we know of, that served bison, and it was because of the beef shortages during World War II,” Martin says. The bison heads that hang in the dining room “used to be part of the herd that was behind the Pod. One of them was in the miniseries Centennial years ago, and one of the babies from that herd ended up becoming the first Ralphie for CU. There’s a lot of history, a lot of good stories.” (Those bison heads will be going home with the Martins when the restaurant shutters.)

Reminiscing about the past triggers a memory for Martin, of a letter she once received from a food writer.  “He told us that his fantasy had always been that he would find a small restaurant out in the sticks, that no one knew about, had marvelous food, was run by interesting, fun people who he wanted to have as friends,” she recalls. “He then told us that he had finally found that place in Hudson at the Pepper Pod Restaurant.” 

Going into its last week, “We are absolutely overwhelmed with all the wonderful compassion and understanding and love and messages we are receiving,” Martin says. But at the same time, “We’re mourning this terribly because this is our identity, really. And everybody is reaching out to us, and we can’t respond to everything, and we’re trying to keep the doors open and feed more people than normal exponentially. And our staff is grieving this too. It’s been a weird thing. I’ve never closed a restaurant so I didn’t know what it was going to be like. I just figured people would stop coming.”

But the impact of the Pepper Pod and its owners have had on the community is undeniable. “We’re grateful for everything,” Martin concludes. “The outpouring of emotion, it’s been a ride.”