Notorious for its brown sugar butter and sweet honey rolls, the Texas Roadhouse on North Avenue is always packed full of locals waiting to munch on their southwestern-inspired meals. Although business is booming for the restaurant on North Avenue, the city of Grand Junction announced that Texas roadhouse will be moving locations as part of the new Sutherlands Redevelopment Project.

Development for the project began in late 2021 and still remains in the early stages. The completion date is yet to be announced. According to the Mesa County Planning Department, the project will consist of tearing down the Sutherlands and building restaurants in the lot near the Mesa Mall. An additional Chipotle location, Cracker Barrel, and Texas Roadhouse are just some of the restaurants that will fill this lot. Many residents of Fruita and Redlands are excited about this new closer location; however, it is at the cost of those who live in the eastern part of Grand Junction.

With the loss of several restaurants and businesses over the past few months it is clear that eastern North Avenue and its residents will suffer from the loss of its beloved Texas Roadhouse. Dine-In restaurants are becoming more scarce in this area of Grand Junction, and many residents will have to resort to drive-thrus or commute when they want to eat out. The Texas Roadhouse also has 58 employees most of which will have a difficult decision regarding their jobs when the new location is in place.

Many propose that instead of moving the location, it would better benefit the community if the new location was an addition rather than a replacement. It’s evident from the success of the North Avenue branch that Texas Roadhouse would thrive with another branch. An additional location would help shorten lines, create more job opportunities and result in a less stressful environment for workers.