Sally and Gary Hoffman have owed Fat Cat Cafe — a breakfast and lunch staple in the county — for nearly 30 years.

The couple serves British favorites like scotch eggs and shepherd’s pie, and American comfort food, plus plenty of baked goods.

The first Fat Cat Cafe opened in Grand Lake in 1995. For the past five years, the couple has run their cafe in a cozy gray building along Granby’s Main Street. The restaurant’s last day is Sunday, Nov. 10.

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Business is for sale to aspiring restaurateurs — “The Fat Cat could go places”

The Hoffmans do not own the building; their lease is ending, so they are now getting ready for the next chapter in their lives. While the couple will be mostly retired from the restaurant industry, new culinary adventures may be in the works. 

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Sally said the business itself, including the brand name, is for sale to anyone interested in continuing the cafe’s legacy in Grand County. If new owners take on the Fat Cat business, it would be in a separate location from the cafe’s current home.

The Granby restaurant space will be available to anyone who wants to start a restaurant business, but it will not be affiliated with Fat Cat Cafe, which will be in a new location if someone buys it.

“The location doesn’t make the Fat Cat – it’s its own entity. We’ve moved five times and got busier and busier each time,” she said. “I think of the Fat Cat as an entity unto herself, and we work for her. The Fat Cat still has a lot of life in it.”

Along with the business name, prospective new owners will receive recipes, equipment or even trained staff.

“If there’s a restaurant person out there that wants to jump in and embrace the loyalty of the customers and the amazing community that we’ve created with the Fat Cat,” she said.

Sally added that prospective new Fat Cat Cafe owners could take the business to new heights, including offering dinner or opening a bar in it.  

She also plans to either sell or donate the cafe’s feline-themed decor. She has garnered over 300 cat figurines over the decades. Any proceeds from these will go to the Pennies for Pets campaign.

Serving generations of thankful customers

For the Hoffmans, customers “and their love and appreciation of homemade food” are what made the cafe special.

“A sprinkle of love on any food these days is just so rare to come by,” she reflected.

The couple and their employees have served generations of families for the 30 years they’ve been in business. When their business first opened in Grand Lake, they gained loyal customers who followed them to their Granby location. The Hoffmans served meals to their kids and even grandkids over the years.

“It’s been a family tradition for so many years. It’s almost like losing a member of the family,” she expressed of closing the restaurant.

She recalled the earliest advertisements for the cafe that she used to place in Sky-Hi News jokingly declared, “Angry people serving bad food.”

The advertisement – meant to grab people’s attention – belied the true spirit of the cafe. Welcoming staff members providing a comfy atmosphere to enjoy a breakfast, lunch or an endless buffet of homemade items.

Sally’s whole life has revolved around the restaurant, from trying out new recipes, to meeting new customers and having regulars become true friends.

“It’s been your favorite little place that you like to go to and eat, where you’ve known everybody since you were a kid,” she said of the cafe’s atmosphere. “That’s kind of how this place is.”

What’s next for Sally and Gary?

The Hoffmans will let go of all employees as of Sunday, which is their official last day. Sally told the staff ahead of time so they could find employment elsewhere, if needed.

“My employees are family to me, and so I want to make sure that they’re treated right and they’ve got opportunities,” she said.

She told the employees that anyone could take over to “grow and love the business and the customers as much as we do.”

Sally isn’t 100% sure what’s next for the couple as they move to retirement. She would like to stay involved in baking homemade food for the community in some capacity. She has considered starting up a holiday pop-up shop, with the name Sally’s For Seconds.

The work of operating a full restaurant is behind the couple, but they have hope for the future of Fat Cat.

“I would love for someone to grab the kitty by the tail and just run with her, because I think the Fat Cat has got so many opportunities, but we’re just too old to do it,” she said.

As for the building, “We want whoever moves in to have a clean slate without any Fat Cat history.”

The Hoffmans’ loyal customers may find the couple somewhere in Grand County, in a new holiday pop-up, serving their favorites — fresh baked pies, desserts, English scones, scotch eggs and more.

Check Fat Cat’s Facebook page for hours and updates.