Phil Castle, The Business Times

Brad and Becky Brehmer could begin a lot of stories with the well-worn phrase “once in a blue moon.” Except it’s the Blue Moon. And it’s seldom just once. Not when it comes to the customers who’ve frequently patronized the couple’s downtown Grand Junction bar and grill for nearly 36 years.

The Brehmers have not only made it their business to provide fare, service and events that encourage repeat business and fierce loyalty, but also created a popular Grand Valley landmark in the process.

They garnered the latest recognition for their efforts at the Entrepreneurship Day luncheon at Colorado Mesa University, where they received the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award. The annual award honors those who’ve started businesses, contributed to the economic development of the region and exemplify entrepreneurial values.

The Brehmers say they’re pleased to receive an award that validates the success and longevity of the Blue Moon. “It’s very humbling,” Brad says.

But what they most cherish, they say, is providing something of a home away from home for the customers they’ve come to know so well.

“I love the environment. It’s the people. It really is,” Brad says.

Becky agrees. “Most of the people who come in here are friends.”

The Brehmers opened the Blue Moon in 1987. They brought to the venture their experience working at and operating a number of restaurants in Grand Junction, including the Vault and Pablo’s.

The building on Seventh Street was vacant at that time, but previously housed a clothing store called Red Hot Pants and then the T-Bone Restaurant and a 1950s-themed diner called 57s.

Becky remembers the couple were still debating a name for their latest venture when the song “Blue Moon” played on the radio.

When Becky went to Grand Junction City Hall to apply for a liquor license, she discovered she had to provide a business name on the paperwork. She told the clerk, a friend of hers, some of the options. When the clerk heard Blue Moon, she told Becky she met her husband at a place in Kansas City called the Blue Moon.

The name hasn’t changed since. Neither has an operation the Brehmers say features a diverse menu, friendly service and entertaining events.

The Brehmers have hosted a variety of events at the Blue Moon over the years, including wakes and a wedding. The place is perhaps best known, though, for what are dubbed full moon parties staged each month.

Brad attributes success to the team at the Blue Moon that’s delivered good food and service for so many years. The business currently employs a staff of 24. “We’ve had unbelievable quality people.”

But it’s also a matter of consistency, Brad says, in providing the food and services customers have come to expect — and in some cases, travel great distances to enjoy.

In addition, operating a business for nearly 36 years and through the ups and downs of business cycles requires flexibility and adaptability, the Brehmers say.

The latest challenges came with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The Blue Moon remained opened and busy during the pandemic, the Brehmers say, by first serving their customers with takeout meals and then expanding their sidewalk services outside the restaurant to maintain social distancing.

The Brehmers say it’s important to give back to the community and they strive to do so by hosting events and raising funds for local causes.

But more than anything, Becky says they remain committed to serving their customers. “The people are great.”