Battered by 8 months of street reconstruction, Rides owner let’s Fruita know: We are still here

Tim Harty, The Business Times

It was late May, the 23rd to be exact, at 1:07 in the morning when Krista Mahler posted to Facebook a plea, if you will, to the good people of Fruita to support her business, now that they can actually get to it again.

She was nearing the one-year mark of her ownership of Rides Bar & Grill, 152 S. Mesa St., and the last eight of those 12 months had her adopting a daily ritual of looking into the street from her business and asking, “What now?”

She knew better than to ask. She wasn’t going to like the answer.

The South Mesa Street reconstruction project that began in the fall and lasted eight months instead of the three to six that originally had been communicated to Mahler, was a butt kicker for her bar and restaurant. When she thought nothing more could happen in terms of access to her business being affected by a torn-up street and large equipment, either active or parked in front of Rides, all Mahler needed to do was look again the next day.

So, when the dust settled on the Mesa Street project in late May, Mahler had a project of her own to begin: the reconstruction of her business. And it took some courage when she took to Facebook, but she posted her message in hopes more friendly faces will frequent her Fruita bar and grill in the coming months and put it on the road to recovery.

She began the message with: “They say transparency is the foundation of a real neighborhood hangout, so I’m going to be completely vulnerable with you all.”

She then proceeded to tell of a massive vision for her business being deterred and the brutal uphill battle Rides endured to survive the South Mesa Street construction.

Mahler said it’s not like her to ask for help, but something drew her to say, “OK, just put it out there. Let people know that the construction’s over … and just the financial constraints of the impact of this construction for eight months was significant.

“Something just pulled on my heartstrings, and it took me about an hour to write that post. It’s not something I do very often.”

Mahler said Rides had to reduce its hours of operation, because decreased revenues forced her hand. And she hated to do it, because it plays into a perception about the building at 152 S. Mesa St., which has been home to many different bars over the years. And that means many different bars closed.

“A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, nothing in that building ever survived,’” Mahler said. “And I wanted to let them know that we are surviving, that we will continue to keep fighting through all of this and keep trying to improve and provide the best offerings that we can, whether it be music or food, or a kitchen that’s open late at night when there’s nothing else open in this town after 10 o’clock.

“You know, I wanted to make sure that that was our big focus and that, yes, we are still here.”

And things are getting better, slowly.

Mahler has plans in mind, but some require increased revenues first in order to implement them, such as hiring more employees.

“We’re just still trying to refocus on drawing the people here and focus more on my kitchen to draw people out,” she said. “I don’t want this to just be a bar. I want this to be focused on as the restaurant as well, and the place where you can come and get a meal from noon until 2 a.m. on certain days.

“And right now, because of the construction and the financial impact, I’m still trying to build the team back up, and as the business continues to grow, then I can add more people. Right now, even though we have a restaurant that’s open all day, I don’t necessarily have dedicated servers, just because I can’t afford them. So as we continue to grow, that will be added on.”

Mahler hasn’t been able to bring back lunch daily, but Rides is close to being able to consistently do it Friday through Sunday.

Mahler wants to get the taps back in action for serving beer. But again, can’t afford to do it yet. In the meantime, patrons buy beer in bottles and cans.

Mahler said a lot of things got put on hold in winter and spring, “because we were just trying to stay afloat.”

She said Rides will get the outdoor patio going again, and that should help.

Rides managed to host its Tuesday blues jam events throughout the South Mesa Street construction. Now, Mahler said she wants to grow Rides’ live-music offerings to draw in more people.

“One of the things that I am looking to try to do is create a local space for new bands, like musicians that are just trying to get their start,” she said “So, I’d like to be kind of that place that we’ll give that first shot to somebody who’s new or up and coming. It doesn’t necessarily have to be people that are well-known. I just want to be the music spot.”

Everything she’s doing these days is with an eye toward growing the business, increasing revenues and investing back into Rides.

Ultimately, she wants Rides to be “a space for everyone” and have that be what defines it. She thinks an appropriate tagline for Rides would be: Come as you are. Everyone’s welcome.

“There’s so many rumors that run around that we’re a dive bar, that we’re a biker bar, that we’re a gay bar. We are none of those, but we are welcoming to all,” Mahler said. “One of my first reviews – I’ll never forget – online somebody said, ‘It’s a great bar, had a great time, but I think they’re confused as to what they want to be.’

“And I remember my initial response was: I’m not confused. I know exactly what I want to be. I want to be a bar for everyone.”

Calling on Fruita for help

Rides Bar & Grill owner Krista Mahler posted the following on Facebook on May 23 at 1:07 a.m.:

They say transparency is the foundation of a real neighborhood hangout, so I’m going to be completely vulnerable with you all.

When I took over Rides Bar & Grill – Fruita Colorado in June 2025, I had a massive vision for this place. I had an official logo I wanted to proudly hang out front to welcome you, and a plan for full, bustling hours. But the reality of surviving the South Mesa Street construction has been a brutal uphill battle. The dust, the detours, and the alley-only access didn’t just slow down foot traffic – the financial constraints of enduring this massive project have temporarily deterred that vision.

Because of that, I unfortunately don’t have our official logo out front yet. And unfortunately, due to those same constraints, we haven’t been able to regain our desired full hours of operation just yet.

It hurts not to have those pieces of the puzzle fully in place. But a business isn’t defined by a shiny sign or a perfect schedule – it’s defined by the people inside it and the grit of the person steering the ship.

I am working so incredibly hard every single day to ensure this space is ready for you. Whether you are a Fruita local born and raised, someone living in a nearby town, or someone just passing through our beautiful area – I want you to know that you are welcome, you are appreciated, and you have a seat at my bar.

So, please hang in there with me. Together, we can make this vision happen. We Are Downtown Fruita! Building a community hub where absolutely everyone is welcome. Come as you are – whether you’re covered in trail dust from a ride, wearing your work boots, or just looking for a friendly face.

I can’t wait to see you. Let’s finish this construction fight together.

Editor’s Note: This Facebook post is unedited aside from one spelling correction.