Mexican restaurant closing for makeover

A Mexican restaurant in Grand Junction is expected to close for 10 days while the facility is remodeled. The Dos Hombres location at 421 Brach Drive is scheduled to close between March 31 and April 9. “It’s just time for an upgrade,” said owner Scott Howard. “We’re making some necessary repairs in the kitchen, we’re […]

Ski group reports increase in visits

A trade association of Colorado resorts reports a slight increase in skier visits during the first two months of the year as snow conditions improved. According to Colorado Ski Country USA, skier visits to its 21 member resorts increased 1.3 percent during the second period of the ski  season — a span between Jan. 1 […]

Free business courses offered on library website

Mesa County Libraries now offers a free resource to local employers seeking ways to train their staffs. UniversalClass is available through the  website at www.mesacountylibraries.org and offers online courses that can help sharpen skills, increase knowledge and improve professional expertise. Business training courses cover such topics as accounting and bookkeeping, customer service, computers and office […]

Outdoor industry trade group: Sector a big economic driver

Outdoor recreation constitutes an important component of the Colorado economy, according to an analysis conducted by a trade association for the outdoor industry. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) estimates that people spend about $13.2 billion annually on outdoor recreational activities in Colorado. That level of spending supports nearly 125,000 jobs that generate a total of […]

Entrepreneurial program coming to School District 51

A program that guides middle and high school students through the process of starting their own businesses will be offered at Mesa County School District 51 starting this fall. Gayle Jagel, founder and chief executive officer of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) announced plans to bring the program to Mesa County. “We are excited about […]

Report: Beer distributors big economic contributor

A new report confirms that beer not only tastes good, it’s also good for the economy. In Colorado, beer distributors account for an estimated $987 million in total economic effects, including $215 million in federal, state and local tax revenues. A total of another $124 million in federal, state and local alcohol excise taxes are […]

Family out to expand operation with new restaurant

Phil Castle, The Business Times Laurie Hammond believes the food, service and atmosphere that have made a Grand Junction restaurant a popular venue for nearly 30 years also will attract patrons to a second location for the family operation. While the newly opened Loree’s restaurant in downtown Grand Junction won’t be identical to Garfield’s, Hammond […]

Critics worry city fee hike will discourage development

Kelly Sloan, The Business Times  An increase in fees assessed on development in Grand Junction has raised concerns the higher rates could discourage business growth. “Now is not the time to be increasing transportation fees. While we are struggling to recover from the recession, we should be doing everything we can to help business, not […]

Consumer Confidence Index seesaws back down

A monthly measure of consumer confidence has seesawed down as uncertainty over the effects of government spending cuts cloud the outlook for business and labor conditions. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) fell more than eight points to 59.7 in March. The CCI has had its ups and downs over the […]