The old owner of the always-open Johnson’s Corner truck stop says the new owners of the iconic northern Colorado landmark will be wise not to make too many alterations to the business.
“As a businessman, you just don’t change Johnson’s Corner,” said 61-year-old Chauncey Taylor, who started working there when he was 12.
Johnson’s Corner, which opened in 1952, is in the hands of new ownership. TravelCenters of America closed on the deal last week.
TravelCenters, operators of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers, boasts 251 truck stops and service centers in 43 states and Canada. All operate just off interstate highways.
Johnson’s Corner — off Interstate 25 south of Loveland — fits perfectly in the company’s expansion plans, said TravelCenters president and CEO Tom O’Brien, who vows to keep the institution pretty much as is.
“The addition of Johnson’s Corner gives us the opportunity to provide professional drivers a new full-service travel center within our network, while also keeping the charm and character they have come to love at Johnson’s Corner,” O’Brien said Thursday.
TravelCenters will be able to expand the garage side of Johnson’s Corner as well as its bakery, Taylor said.
Johnson’s Corner’s cinnamon rolls are legendary, and in 1998 Travel & Leisure magazine placed the restaurant on its list of 10 best breakfasts in the world.
For years, other companies and groups have approached Taylor and his wife, Christy, who is chief financial officer, in hopes of buying Johnson’s Corner. But TravelCenters seemed the better fit.
“It’s a well-known business, and they’ve got experience in the type of expansion Johnson’s Corner needs,” Chauncey Taylor said.
The Taylors are packing up their offices and next week will leave the restaurant for good.
Chauncey Taylor’s stepfather, Joe Johnson, opened the truck stop and made it the fifth Johnson’s Corner location in Colorado. The restaurant never has closed — even during blizzards that have crippled traffic and shut down I-25.
Taylor, who started at the truck stop as dishwasher nearly 50 years ago, said he no longer could deal with demands of running a business and overseeing 170 employees.
“It just gets harder and harder every year,” said Taylor, who also is a Loveland city council member. “Owning a small business now is just too tough.”
Johnson’s Corner will retain its name, and there are no plans to lay off employees, Taylor said.
