Who's Moving Into the Old Western Sizzlin' Building on North Ave?

Renovations are underway at the former location of a popular Grand Junction steakhouse. Who's moving in?

Looking back 30 years, this building at 2839 North Avenue was home to a pretty decent steakhouse. If memory serves, it was a Western Sizzlin' for the better part of 20 years. Following that run, it was home to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, a sports-themed restaurant, and then a handful of other businesses.

Well, here it is July 2020, and painters, plumbers, and other contractors are on the scene getting this location ready to reopen. Who are the new neighbors?

As you can see on the sign out front, the new business is Red Maple, a restaurant specializing in sushi and Chinese food.

Tom Freeman

According to Bizapedia, The Red Maple, LLC is a Colorado Limited-Liability Company filed on February 6, 2020. I was curious to learn more, so I did a search to see if this new restaurant were part of a chain. There is a Red Maple in Salt Lake City, Utah, but it does not appear to be affiliated with the new restaurant in Grand Junction.

Being a fan of new business, I stopped by 2839 North Avenue to ask a few questions. According to the contractors, the new restaurant is scheduled to open August 1, 2020, only 11 days from now.

Why the name "Red Maple"? According to Google, in China, maple is associated with honor, and its leaves are a motif in Japanese ukiyo-e paintings representing love and autumn.

I'm excited to see a new business starting in Grand Junction during the current crisis. If you stop and think about it, several great businesses started during uncertain times. To name some of the biggies: Disney, FedEx, Gallup, Hyatt, Dave and Buster's,Quiznos, and Whole Foods.

Welcome to Grand Junction, The Red Maple. Here's wishing you a long and successful run.