Tim Harty, The Business Times

The downtown Grand Junction building that until recently housed Brown Cycles is under new ownership and being renovated to become a restaurant.

The Mesa County Assessor’s website shows The Maken Do LLC, which belongs to former Brown Cycles owner Chris Brown, sold the building at 549 and 555 Main St. on June 9 to 549-555 Main Street LLC, which belongs to Uwe Kirch. Kirch, who goes by the nickname Trout, owns Rocky Mountain West Insurance and The Rockslide Brew Pub in downtown Grand Junction.

The purchase price was $1,000,001. The sale occurred prior to Brown announcing he was closing Brown Cycles after operating it for nearly 26 years.

Kirch said he’s worked enough in old buildings in downtown Grand Junction to know what to expect when purchasing and renovating them. He said he saw the 549-555 Main St. building listed for sale, walked through it, talked to Brown, then “I threw a number at him, and he took it.”

The front of the 555 Main St. half of the building is leased by Bella Balsamic & The Pressed Olive, which has occupied the space since 2014. 

Kirch said Bella Balsamic will remain there, while the back half of 555 Main St. will be part of the new restaurant Kirch is creating.

Kirch said the restaurant will be named Valle di Sera, which means “valley of the evening” in Italian.

He said the restaurant concept he’s going for is an international theme, but not a singular ethnicity or country. Rather, he will pick and choose from a variety, as he said, “Maybe some German. Maybe some Brazilian. Maybe some Moroccan. We’ll bring in some things we don’t already have here (in the Grand Valley).”

Kirch said Valle di Sera will provide an elevated dining experience, and he drew comparisons to the former 626 on Rood, The Winery Restaurant, Bin 707 Foodbar, Devil’s Kitchen and Enzo’s Ristorante Italiano. He also emphasized there will be a focus on service.

He said Valle di Sera will use locally sourced meats and mentioned “bison and venison that you’d find in Colorado.”

Kirch added the menu may include a nod to the building’s past, saying, “We might name a drink or dish after Chris (Brown).”

Kirch expects the main dining area will seat 50 to 60 people, and there will be a separate area in the back that is more private and will feature a custom-built 24-foot-long table. He envisions that room being used for events and gave the example of wedding rehearsals.

Kirch said he wants Valle di Sera to stand out, not blend in, not try to appeal to everyone.

“It feels like in Grand Junction you have to find the middle ground,” he said, lamenting that means restaurants steer clear of bold flavors. “We should not be afraid to put flavor into things.”

Summing up his project, Kirch said, “We’re thinking there’s opportunity there.” Then, he flashed his sense of humor and quipped, “If it flops, we can make it a taco joint.”