Historic Johnson's Corner restaurant at memorable Northern Colorado truck stop has closed
A popular truck stop in northern Colorado is going through some changes. The restaurant at Johnson's Corner closed suddenly over the weekend.
The diner-type eatery off Exit 254 opened in the 1950s and became known to travelers on Interstate 25 over the decades as a great place to get large cinnamon rolls. Ten years ago TravelCenters of America purchased the restaurant and recently it faced a big challenge to its business with the opening of Colorado's first Buc-ee's truck stop not far down the interstate in Johnstown.
The website for the truck stop -- now called Petro Johnson's Corner -- still lists that the business "features a full service restaurant," but an employee on Monday said in a phone call with CBS Colorado that the restaurant closed permanently on Sunday. That employee said they weren't able to answer whether there were any jobs eliminated with the closing and said a manager would be in on Tuesday who could discuss the situation further.
The employee said a chain restaurant called Black Bear Diner will open in the space where the previous restaurant was. He said that would likely be in mid-April. There are several Black Bear Diners in Colorado, including in Colorado Springs and in Aurora.
The gas station and convenience store at Petro Johnson's Corner remain open.