Boulder, UT — Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, the James Beard-nominated restaurant in Boulder, Utah, announces the acquisition of the Boulder Mountain Lodge property, marking a significant milestone in the restaurant’s 25-year history. The recent purchase was completed through a unique community-funded initiative.

“This fulfillment of our dream represents so more than just the buying of a physical property,—it’s been our beloved home for so long, and being able to actually own it now is really a testament to the power of love, community support, and the commitment of our team to a kind of higher-consciousness way of doing business”. . " said Blake Spalding, co-founder of Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm.

The property’s new ownership team consists of long-time chef-owners Blake Spalding and Jen Castle, along with key team members Nina Brownell, Morgan Reedy, and Nick Barretta—all year-round Boulder residents. This acquisition was made possible through the contributions of these three dedicated “Hellion Investors” along with a group of long term guests and friends of the restaurant. Their own “Hell’s Angels” made low interest loans and gifts, so the team could avoid traditional banking institutions and conventional financing.

The new ownership team brings extensive experience to the property’s management:

  • Nina Brownell, former farmer and General Manager, brings a decade of experience
  • Morgan Reedy enters her fifth season and third as General Manager
  • Nick Barretta, who joined in 2023, will co-manage lodge operations with Brownell

HBG guests will see many exciting improvements in the weeks and months ahead, including the introduction of “Little Bone,” a new food truck operation on the lodge grounds, run by returning team member Lacy Allen. Little Bone will serve daily many of the beloved breakfast items from pre-pandemic times, and also dinner service on the restaurant’s off nights, featuring beloved menu items and new offerings. “Our guests have tearfully rhapsodized about our breakfasts, and we’re overjoyed to have found the right person and circumstances to make it work and bring back the magic,” says co-founder and executive chef Jen Castle.

Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm will begin its 26th season on March 14th, 2025. Together with the Lodge, the businesses will offer expanded services including:

  • Five nights of fine dining in the main restaurant
  • New food truck service for breakfast and additional dinner options
  • Heated patio seating
  • Enhanced lodge amenities and services
  • Streamlined website and reservation system for booking room stays
  • Event spaces for weddings, retreats, gatherings and farm dinners
  • Restaurant reservations through the website and theTOCK reservation system

ABOUT HELL’S BACKBONE GRILL & FARM:

Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm is celebrating its 26th season of serving organic, locally sourced cuisine, with much of the produce harvested from its six-acre farm in Boulder, Utah. The destination restaurant proudly enjoys the highest Zagat ratings in Utah and follows Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, food and social justice, and community and planetary responsibility. Co-owners Jen Castle and Blake Spalding have also created a retail line of food and two acclaimed and beloved cookbooks, With a Measure of Grace, the Stories and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant, and This Immeasurable Place, Food and Farming from the Edge of Wilderness.

Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm was selected as a James Beard Awards semifinalist in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and advanced to nominee in 2020, the year the awards were canceled due to the pandemic. Spalding and Castle were honored most recently by the restaurant’s inclusion as semi-finalists for Outstanding Restaurant (one of twenty restaurants each year in the national category) for both 2022 and 2023.

Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm has been the recipient of a myriad of Best Restaurant awards and has been featured in many national publications, including the New York Times, O Magazine, and Bon Appetit. HBG was also the subject of a 2018 New Yorker feature highlighting its efforts to save the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from being downsized. Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm was also one of four restaurants chosen to represent Utah’s Slow Food movement in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

ABOUT BOULDER MOUNTAIN LODGE

For nearly three decades, Boulder Mountain Lodge has been a home base for visitors exploring Southern Utah’s immense and unique landscapes. Nestled in the heart of Boulder, the Lodge provides an increasingly rare experience of peace and wilderness, while still offering modern amenities to enhance comfort and convenience. The property offers 22 rooms and sits on 16 acres, 10 of which are a wetland and bird sanctuary. The previous long-time Lodge owner is Dave Mock, who is based in Salt Lake City. Dave worked with the Hell’s Backbone team over the past 14 months to ensure a successful acquisition and transition, making this exciting unification of the two businesses possible.

More information and reservations for Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm and Boulder Mountain Lodge are available online at https://www.hellsbackbonegrill.com.