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The historic Templeton House is shown at 2 S.
25th St.,
with the sign at right for the new Templeton's restaurant.
New restaurant in historic Templeton House features steak, seafood, fondue
Templeton's owner JoAnn Trujillo is flanked by
her two chefs, Terry Shampoe (at left) and Andrew Barkas. The photo was taken at
the late-September Taste of OCC event in Bancroft Park, during which
Templeton's was one of the restaurants offering samples of their food.
Westside Pioneer photo
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A historic Old Colorado City building is now called Templeton's Restaurant, at 2 S. 25th St.
Started by the couple that created Dat's Italian in Old Colorado City eight years ago - JoAnn and Dennis Trujillo - the eatery takes advantage of the 127-year-old building's two floors. Fondue will be the specialty on the first floor, with steak and seafood on the second. In nice weather, a patio allows outside dining.
Templeton's is open daily, for dinner only. Some parking is available on-site; a free city parking lot is just to the west.
When Dat's opened in 2010, JoAnn described it as offering “comfort food.” Templeton's, featuring Broadmoor-trained chefs, is geared for “high-end” diners, she explained.
The new restaurant's types of culinary offerings were based on perceived demand. According to JoAnn, “there are only a couple of higher-end
The new Templeton's restaurant has retained the
crafted woodworking - including this decorative piece on the stairway - that is
believed to date back to when Henry Templeton built the two-story structure in
1891.
Westside Pioneer photo
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As for the Trujillos opening their second restaurant in Old Colorado City - also buying the property Templeton's sits on - JoAnn made it clear that the decision was easy. “We love people,” she said, “and we want more people to come to Old Colorado City.”
When Henry Templeton came here in 1862, it was by covered wagon. He was accompanied by his pregnant wife and their three children. In a 2009 article for the Old Colorado City Historical Society newsletter West Word, local historian Dave Hughes wrote that from then until his death in 1914 Templeton experienced some financial ups and downs, but he was hard-working, and in 1891 (when he was 60) he built the two structures that bear his name.
One was the three-story office building at the northwest corner of Colorado and 25th; the other was his house, where the new restaurant is situated.
Templeton's is not the first dining establishment in the converted domicile. The most recent was 2South, which lasted about five years after opening in 2012. At that time, the 2South owners said they'd done major renovations while seeking to retain the building's historic character; these included reinforcing the first and second floors, adding a bathroom, stripping the hardwood floors and creating a full kitchen.
For Templeton's, the kitchen has been enhanced, explained the chefs, Terry Shampoe and Andrew Barkas. Also, the new owners have taken pains to continue preserving the building's historical aspects, particularly the crafted woodworking, according to the Trujillos' daughter, Maia Conkey, the operating manager. This appreciation is further reflected in naming the restaurant after its builder/original resident, not themselves, JoAnn pointed out.
The business phone is 635-0261; the website is templetonsrestaurant.com.
Westside Pioneer article
(Business:
New)
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