At Bingo night Sept. 7, spirits seemed high at The River, with Billy Bullock the Bingo caller pulling out all the stops, wearing a wig, an oversized hat, a dress and even high heels.
There was laughter and applause, but there was also sadness, as owner Greg Hughes announced The River, a Boulder standard for sandwiches, pizza, and burgers, would be closing its doors.
The last day of operation was Sunday, Sept. 11.
“Several factors came into consideration,” said Hughes, who started the business in February of 2012. “The River has always placed exceptional service and superior quality above all else, and when I started seeing the loss of quality and service, I just knew I didn’t want to be known for that…when those standards can no longer be met it’s time to end our operation.”
Hughes said this decision is largely a result of not being able to find labor.
“Even when I’m paying $15 to $20 an hour I can’t find people who want to work,” he said. “Since opening, The River has had 12-15 employees at all times. I used to be able to say, ‘right now we are fully staffed, but if an opening comes up I’ll let you know,’ and that was when we were paying $10 to $12 an hour. This year, however, the most employees we’ve had at any given time was six.”
Considering the restaurant and the catering contracts – which include the county jail, the Montana Highway Patrol and federal firefighters – something had to give, he said.
“These contracts take up a lot of my time. I can no longer be here in the store. And when we’re already short employees, me not being here just allows for more problems.”
Ironically, when it comes to numbers, Hughes said The River is having its “best year ever since opening.” That’s a function primarily of the catering contracts, he said, although the restaurant itself has also made money.
“That’s what makes the decision harder,” he said, “but, honestly, I’d rather make the decision to go out on top than spend the next six to 12 months hearing of product and service concerns and not be open to the community on regular scheduled hours.”
Although the restaurant is closing, Hughes said The River will continue to honor its catering contracts.
“I am offering all my employees some more hours to help with the catering and jail contracts,” he said. “I’m going to try to use their hours to utilize them for those two opportunities.
As far as The River brand goes, Hughes said the company will continue to serve the community in one capacity or another.
“We’re going to continue with all of our contracts – and they are lengthy contracts – while we look into other opportunities in Boulder,” he said.
And as for the building itself, Hughes said he hopes the next owner is one who will help move the community forward.
“Whatever takes the place of The River I believe will be beneficial to both the community and the county,” he said.
One potential suitor could be Jefferson County, which is exploring the possibility of buying the building to house the Public Health Department.
“Expansion for the Health Department is something the county is exploring due to need and current funding opportunities. The commissioners and I have discussed the option of expanding the footprint of the building we currently occupy and the option of building or remodeling to create more space,” said Public Health Supervisor Pam Hanna. “Commissioner [Leonard] Wortman and I toured The River with [Hughes] to see if the building would accommodate our needs. That meeting ended with [Hughes] reporting he would provide an appraisal to the county for consideration.”
Hughes said that the process has been initiated to meet the requirements of the county, which could take upwards of another two months
Hanna also mentioned “it is sad to hear of The River closing. They have provided jobs and food and a great gathering place for Boulder.”
Hughes heard similar sentiments from others at Bingo night, while Billy Bullock continued to amuse and distract, making the night even more memorable.
“At Bingo, one regular told me of The River, that ‘this is Boulder,’ and I feel the same,” Hughes said. “We’ve been an integral part of the community. When people come to Boulder, they stop at The River.”
