Chimayo Stone Fired Kitchen in Durango is under new ownership after the original founders sold it to Bobby Middleton, an engineer from Albuquerque.
The deal was finalized April 1, no fooling.
Former owners Michael and Birgitte Lutfy opened the restaurant in 2012 and were inspired to name it after the small town in northern New Mexico with the same name. The couple were inclined to open the restaurant after traveling around the country and researching restaurants as corporate executive chefs with the Andretti Racing Team, according the restaurant’s website.
For the pair, they decided it was time to pursue there other passions. For Michael, it was landscape photography, and for Birgitte it was her art consisting of glass fusions and metal sculptures.
Both of their work was often on display in the restaurant for customers to look at and purchase.
“We were ready for the next chapter of our lives and to downshift a little bit,” said Michael Lutfy. “Restaurants take a lot of time and we're ready to focus on our side careers that we've developed as artists.”
Middleton made it clear during an interview Sunday that the restaurant would not change; he credited the Lutfys for developing a successful business.
He said he is going to hire a general manager, and Birgitte will help train the new hire as part of the agreement between the two parties. Both Birgitte and Michael will offer consulting for the new ownership until June.
The Lutfys had a 10-year-plan when they first started the restaurant in 2012 where they would run the restaurant for 10 years and decide whether they wanted to pursue other passions after that period.
“We feel like we've gotten through all of those challenges (of the COVID-19 pandemic) and that it was kind of the perfect time to step away. And again, we're right at 11 years and kind of at that 10-year plan,” Michael Lutfy said.
The couple plan to stay in Durango. Both have already hosted a few art shows displaying their work.
For Middleton, it is his first time owning a dining establishment. He said he has worked in the fast food industry when he was younger but has spent his career working as an engineer. He works for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque developing concepts to help power plants conserve water.
He said he’s been coming to Durango for about 15 years and that owning a restaurant has always been a goal of his.
“I was always interested in the ownership of food services but I just never had the money to get into it until lately,” Middleton said.
Birgitte Lutfy said COVID-19 caused burnout among many restaurant owners, and they felt a similar fatigue.
“You can't do a restaurant halfway. Either you're there or you're not there,” she said. “I think COVID made a lot of restaurant owners tired. At some point you hope you can staff the restaurant well and when you can’t hire the people you need it just wears you out a little bit.”
Michael Lutfy said the sale was a best-case scenario which allowed the couple to pursue their other interests while making for a smooth transfer of ownership and allowing the 32 Chimayo employees to continue working at the restaurant.
“I've been up here every weekend since the purchase and I was up there the entire first week,” Middleton said. “I loved watching how everything was going and kind of interacting with as many of the customers and staff as I could. Everything is running smoothly.”
tbrown@durangoherald.com
