Fort Collins saw a bittersweet start to 2024, with the opening of an anticipated new eatery at a popular Old Town corner and the closure of a Fort Collins fixture just down the street.
Avery Eatery debuted Jan. 10, breathing new life — and breakfast and lunch — into 100 N. College Ave. Less than two weeks later, Jay’s Bistro announced it was departing Old Town and closing up shop after more than 30 years on Oak Street.
Three more openings and three more closures were also announced, while multiple in-the-works eateries and one coffee shop are making moves. Here’s the full rundown of what happened on the Fort Collins and Windsor dining scenes in January:
What opened
Arboretum Coffee , 221 W. Prospect Road, debuted in Midtown on Jan. 22, serving up far more than coffee and breakfast pastries . The nonprofit coffee shop offers apprenticeship programs for Fort Collins’ refugee and immigrant youth, with its first cohort of five youth starting in January and its next cohort set to begin this summer. Participants in the program will learn barista and customer service skills through on-the-job training and receive one-on-one mentoring and classes in financial literacy and career preparation, according to Arboretum Coffee founder and former Fort Collins caseworker Hannah Norris. The shop’s model will rely on fundraising from the community and volunteer mentors, who can sign up to work barista shifts at arboretumcoffee.org.