COLORADO SPRINGS — A revival and restoration are happening to a Colorado Springs landmark and gathering place on North Nevada Avenue. The historic Navajo Hogan Roadhouse has new owners and should be open next month.
The Navajo Hogan was built 91 years ago with the idea of creating a gathering place for miners and everyone from the region. New owners have a similar vision.
Neon accents of another era are again shining on the distinctive Navajo Hogan sign. One of the new owners, Bobby Couch, sees value in the building's hometown history.
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"Built in 1935. It was a kind of a roadhouse, you know, it was dirt roads back in the day right here," Couch said.
Intrigue elevates moving from outside to in. Hogan-style architecture crowns the front and back spaces for dining and entertainment. It's considered an engineering marvel - no nails, it was meticulously pieced together, with pressure holding it all in place.
"This is beautiful. I mean this is one of the coolest buildings in the city," Couch said.
The look is unique, and there is a reason a lot of local entertainers have been calling to see if they can be part of live music.
"The acoustics are pretty incredible here," Couch said.
Bringing back the history has required a year of working doing fixes and adding upgrades.
The Hogan closed in 2021 after a series of fires.
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"Definitely a leap of faith due to the amount of work that was involved with bringing it back up, you know, like electrical, plumbing, mechanical, all need to be upgraded," Couch said.
Downstairs offers a glimpse of the modern security system. Also, a massive kegerator cooler supplying the 20 taps added to the upstairs dining experience. The kitchen has also been modernized for a menu six months in the making.
Steaks, smoked trout, elevated burgers and pizzas are on the menu.
"We just picked what we believe works on our menu that tastes good and is executable," Couch said.
Any restoration project comes with challenges. With this one, there is one that bodes well for the future. There have been consistent interruptions from people wanting to share stories and memories.
"The greatest thing that we hear the most is, oh, my parents met there, they got married there, you know, we used to go there in the 60s, the 70s, the 80s," Couch said.
It is a major investment that both honors the past, with some discreet modernizing elements intended to take this nearly 100-year-old gathering place into the future.
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