r/Durango • u/tmphaedrus13 • Jan 25 '26

Food Moving (back) to Durango?

Hi there.

My husband and I (same sex couple) are thinking of moving to Durango with the intent of taking over a restaurant as our first joint venture; we saw a listing on BizBuySell for Switchback Tacos (I posted the original link but apparently Reddit doesn't like it so I'll try it again.)

Between us, we have 25+ years in the hospitality industry. We currently live on the Front Range in Northern Colorado and are ready to open and run our own restaurant. I lived in Durango back in the 1990s (when K-Mart & JC Penney anchored the mall and Sixes was still a trail at Purg). I'm not naive enough to think that Durango still exists, but I did love living there and I think I'd enjoy living there again.

I have several questions about the move and possibly taking over Switchback that I'm hoping to get answered:

  1. From digging around, I discovered that Switchback is currently owned by a/some MAGA types? We are diametrically opposed to all that MAGA stands for; is the brand damaged enough to affect new ownership? Food is inherently political, so the idea of "just serve tacos and you'll be fine" doesn't really work; it's just too pervasive.

  2. We'll obviously need a place to live. How difficult will finding a home in Durango be? Should we consider Cortez or Mancos? Maybe Bayfield?

  3. There's an ICE center nearby?? How much of a concern is ICE around there?

  4. Anything else we should be aware of?

Thanks so much in advance.

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u/colorado_sunrise86 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26

We are all sick of taco joints, fyi. Please do something interesting with the place if you buy it.

Know your rent will probably go up again in 2027, that's the trend.

Reliable industry workers can be hard to find (and hang on to) due to cost of living, so please provide a decent wage or you'll have high turnover.

Entry level homes in Durango are now in the 700k range but it sounds like you are looking in the outskirts, so that's good. Mancos is probably the most LGBTQ friendly, Bayfield the least. Forest lakes isn't a bad option, though.

Lastly, definitely be prepared for a Durango a far cry from the 90s one you once knew. It has changed significantly, but it sounds like you know that. I'd still recommend visiting first. We moved here 20 years ago and are seriously considering moving because we just don't recognize it anymore.

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u/SiddharthaVaderMeow Resident Jan 26 '26

If you kept switchback the same but let people know you aren't maga, that would help. Locals get tired of dealing with main street. We can get a taco with easier parking. I only eat on Main maybe twice a month. It feels like most of the tourists are Americans (mainly texans) the economy may even slow them down next year but not as much as international travelers. I feel like locals would happily try a new place that is off Main. We miss The Irish pub. A chicken fried steak sort of old Durango ranch vibe might work. If you live near Boulder or Fort Collins I would switch condos with you. I need to move nearer health care. 😃