Be Good. Live Simple. Eat Well. Inspiration from Eatery66
/Don’t force things. When something isn’t proving to work as you had initially planned, take a step back and allow for the next option to be brought forth. Follow your vision but allow for there to be passages to explore the possibilities that you didn’t plan/see/vision/expect! Open yourself to the growth of change and be willing to evolve!!
— Katie & Spencer Graves, co-founders of Eatery66
Katie & Spencer Graves, Founders of Eatery66
Ridgway, Colorado has become one of my homes away from the jungle. Why did this little mountain oasis capture my heart? One of the big reasons is an airstream trailer parked on the main street—with a menu! Their specialties? Fresh, local and tasty. Eatery66 is one of the unique businesses that sparked my idea for Wildpreneurs. I wrote much of my book in Ridgway, nourished by Eatery66! YUMMY.
This local Colorado business is not only delicious, the owners are also inspiring free-spirits with a story to tell. We can absolutely relate to their motto “from mountains to oceans.” Check out my interview with Katie and Spencer Graves here.
What’s your favorite part about being a wildpreneur?
The freedom to create. This drives us. As we develop our businesses being stale or stagnant isn’t an option. We thrive on the creative forces of newness and exploration of possibilities. We love that we can try new things, find new passions, and create a lifestyle that works for our employees and our family. For example, we take time off when we need it to recharge and reboot ourselves, our staff and our space- to clear the way for positive new energy and a break from the mundane.
What was your inspiration to create Eatery 66?
Our inspiration was drawn from the farmers and ranchers of the local community. Living in Costa Rica for 8 years, we strongly supported a sustainable lifestyle where we ate according to season, food availability and locally sourced. We ate mangos off the trees, fish from the waters right out our doors and vegetables grown within the country. Moving to Southwest Colorado, we found this same beautiful community here! When we started Eatery 66, we wanted to create a platform to showcase the amazing local food grown and raised in the area and highlight the family who make this possible for us all. We love to inspire and educate others on the sustainability of local and organic foods through simple cuisine that allows the food to speak for itself. We have a deep passion to pave the way in the area to support and highlight our local farms and ranches inspiring a more sustainable future for our community and beyond.
Describe your perfect day as a wildpreneur.
Spencer is an active, outdoor, adventure sports enthusiast! A perfect day would include a morning mountain bike ride, followed by a river surf, a skate session at our local skate park with our three little ripper boys and then head into a full restaurant shift, jamming to Grateful Dead and enjoying the company of our awesome staff and clients. Katie starts her day with meditation a yoga class, tea with friends, a soak in the hot springs followed by a wonderful evening behind the bar, mixing drinks, meeting new people and making memories at Eatery 66. Our family, three boys and two dogs, are always along and leading our adventures around our epic playground of our mountain community.
Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?
We are beyond grateful for this path to grow and learn each day, with each other, with a supportive and beautiful community, all the while enjoying our lifestyle motto- “From Mountains to Oceans”…
Family means the world to us! We love our three boys Cole, Ollie and Tristan to the moon and this ride is nothing without them! They bring us so much joy and are a true part of our adventure!
We are also very grateful to a beautiful team of committed and dedicated employees that are more like an extended family to us!
Balance is everything- work hard, play hard, rest well. Find balance and find sweetness in the little moments-the journey is only beautiful if you take a moment to breath it all in!
Where can we follow you?
